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Patrick Guest
Author, Social Issues, Storyteller/Performer
After many years spent gathering stories and tapping away in darkened rooms, Patrick has overcome his fear of public speaking and is now an accomplished performer – equal parts inspiring and entertaining – who isn’t afraid to explore the deeper motivations behind his stories. Patrick has a talent for engaging and involving his whole audience (even the kid at the back of the hall who doesn’t want to be there).
Where were you born?
Melbourne.
What other jobs have you had?
Elephant washer, Cobbler, Accountant (the world’s worst), Anatomy demonstrator at Monash Uni and Physiotherapist (2 x Olympics).
What themes are recurring in your work?
- Courage and kindness
- Turning lemons into lemonade
- Gathering rosebuds while we may
- The joys of being a kid
What have been the highlights of your career?
- Sitting in a darkened room, tapping away into the night, with a fresh idea in full flow.
- Having my first book (a love letter to my disabled son, Noah) published.
- Having six books commissioned in three years with Little Hare/Hardie Grant Egmont.
- Discovering a love for visiting schools and speaking before large audiences.
- Receiving beautiful letters from kids across Australia.
- Being translated internationally.
- Working with world class illustrators.
- Having The Second Sky in more than 47,000 homes as part of the Victorian Government’s Preppie Book Bag initiative.
- The ‘Hero’s Journey’ project – a speaking tour of secondary schools sponsored by Donate Life and drawing from my book Rabby the Brave.
- Twice shortlisted for the CBCA Early Childhood Book of the year – The Second Sky (2018) and The Dress Up Box (2019).
Haven’t I seen you before?
My friends call me ‘Forest Gump’ for my ability to pop up at the most unlikely events. For eg: Marching in the opening ceremony at the Beijing Olympics (with Team Mozambique) and representing Australia at the World Toe Wrestling Championships.
Anything else you’d like to share with us?
I have 3 kids, 7 siblings and a pug named Zorko …and I’m terrified of possums!
Testimonials
As a school organisation, we are inundated with offers from guest speakers who often charge extortionate fees to promote a range of educational programs, or who want to sell their stories for the purpose of self-promotion. Patrick Guest, as ambassador for Donate Life Australia, offered our students unique, profound, and enduring messages; the incredible strength that exists through vulnerability, the power of love and hope in facing adversity, the importance of failure, persistence, and embracing new opportunities, and the need to look beyond ourselves and understand that our privileged position in society as healthy, wealthy and safe individuals should be appreciated, and in turn carries with it a responsibility to help and support others. Patrick Guest is a speaker who has the rare quality of capturing his audience authentically – through honesty, storytelling, vulnerability and courage – connecting with our hearts and imaginations. It should be mandatory that schools Australia-wide listen to what he has to say.