Trent Dalton Biography
Trent Dalton is an Australian journalist and author. He is best known for his novels Boy Swallows Universe and All Our Shimmering Skies, which have won several awards and become international bestsellers.
He also writes for The Weekend Australian Magazine and has published other books such as Love Stories and Lola in the Mirror.
Trent Dalton Age
Trent Dalton is 45 years old as of 2024.
Trent Dalton Early Life and Education
Trent Dalton was born in Ipswich, Queensland, in 1979, the youngest of four sons. His mother and stepfather were heroin dealers and addicts, who often went to jail or abandoned him. When he was seven years old, his mother was sentenced to two years in prison for drug smuggling, and Dalton was sent to live with his grandparents. He later moved back with his father, who lived in a housing commission property in Bracken Ridge, a suburb on the northern outskirts of Brisbane.
Dalton attended Bracken Ridge State High School, where he discovered his love for words and stories. He was influenced by writers such as Roald Dahl, Mark Twain, and J.D. Salinger, who gave him a sense of wonder and escape. He also enjoyed reading newspapers and magazines, and dreamed of becoming a journalist.
After finishing high school, Dalton worked for a year at an electrical supply warehouse, packing components into boxes. He then decided to pursue his passion for journalism, and enrolled in the University of Southern Queensland. He studied there for a year, before transferring to the Queensland University of Technology, where he completed his degree.
Trent Dalton Career
Trent Dalton is one of Australia’s most celebrated journalists and authors, whose works have won numerous awards and captivated readers around the world.
Dalton began his career as a writer for Brisbane News, a free weekly magazine, in 2000. He was hired after being recommended by one of his tutors at Queensland University of Technology, where he studied journalism. He wrote features and profiles on various subjects, such as homeless people, celebrities, and sports stars. He also wrote about his own life, such as his mother’s addiction and recovery, and his father’s death. He developed a reputation for his empathy, humor, and insight, and his ability to find the extraordinary in the ordinary.
In 2004, Dalton moved to The Courier-Mail, Queensland’s largest newspaper, where he worked as a reporter and feature writer. He covered a variety of topics, from politics and crime to arts and culture. He also wrote about his own personal experiences, such as his childhood, his family, and his travels. He won several awards for his journalism, including the Walkley Awards, the highest honor in Australian media. He also wrote screenplays, gaining an AFI nomination for 2010’s Glen Owen Dodds, a short film starring David Wenham.
In 2011, Dalton published his first book, Detours: Stories from the Street, a collection of profiles of homeless people he had interviewed. The book was based on a series of articles he had written for The Courier-Mail, and aimed to give a voice and a face to the people who are often ignored or marginalized by society. The book was praised for its compassion, honesty, and humanity, and was nominated for the Queensland Premier’s Literary Awards.
In 2016, Dalton joined The Weekend Australian Magazine, where he works as a staff writer. He continues to write compelling and insightful stories about Australian society and culture, such as the Lindt Cafe siege, the Manus Island detention center, and the Uluru Statement from the Heart. He also writes fiction, drawing on his own memories and imagination. His debut novel, Boy Swallows Universe, was published in 2018, and became an international bestseller and a critical success. It was partly based on his childhood, and featured characters and events inspired by his family and friends.
Boy Swallows Universe is a coming-of-age story set in the suburbs of Brisbane in the 1980s. It follows the life of Eli Bell, a 13-year-old boy who lives with his mute brother, his heroin-dealing stepfather, and his babysitter who is a notorious criminal. Despite the chaos and violence around him, Eli dreams of becoming a journalist and finding his true father. The novel is a mix of realism and magic, humor and tragedy, and love and loss. It explores themes such as family, friendship, fate, and redemption. It also pays homage to the culture and history of Queensland, and the power of words and stories.
Boy Swallows Universe was widely acclaimed by readers and critics, and won several awards, including the ABIA Awards, the Indie Book Awards, and the MUD Literary Prize. It was also longlisted for the Miles Franklin Award, and shortlisted for the Booker Prize. It was translated into 34 languages, and sold over a million copies worldwide. It was also adapted into a television series by Netflix, which was released in January 2024, and a play by the Queensland Theatre Company, which premiered in September 2021.
In 2020, Dalton published his second novel, All Our Shimmering Skies, which was also well-received by readers and critics. It is a historical fantasy set in Darwin during World War II. It follows the journey of Molly Hook, a 12-year-old gravedigger who sets out to find a sorcerer who can lift a curse from her family. Along the way, she meets a Japanese pilot, a fallen actress, and a pair of Aboriginal twins. The novel is a tribute to the resilience and beauty of the Australian landscape and people, and a celebration of the power of hope and love.
In 2021, Dalton published Love Stories, a collection of love stories gathered from interviews with people. The book was inspired by his own love story with his wife Fiona, and his belief that love is the most important thing in life. The book features stories of all kinds of love, from romantic to platonic, from familial to self, from tragic to triumphant. The book was praised for its warmth, humor, and diversity, and for its ability to touch the hearts of the readers.
Dalton’s third novel, Lola in the Mirror, was released in October 2023. It is a contemporary thriller set in Sydney, and follows the life of Lola, a young woman who works as a mirror writer for a famous author. Lola’s job is to write the author’s books in his voice and style, while he takes all the credit and fame. Lola is content with her role, until she discovers a dark secret that puts her life in danger.
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Trent Dalton Books
Here is a list of books by Trent Dalton, an Australian journalist and author1:
- Boy Swallows Universe (2018)
- All Our Shimmering Skies (2020)
- Love Stories (2021)
- Lola in the Mirror (2023)
- By Sea & Stars: The Story of the First Fleet (2018)
- Detours: Stories from the Street (2011)
- Boy Swallows Universe Playscript (2021)
- Love Stories Journal (2021)
- The Storytellers: Step into the stories of our city (2021)
- Anonymous Sex (2022) (Editor and Contributor)
- Lonely Gully (2023) (Co-author)
Trent Dalton Personal Life
Trent Dalton is married to Fiona Franzmann, who is also a journalist. They met at Brisbane News Magazine, where Dalton started his career as a writer. They have two daughters together.
Trent Dalton Net Worth
According to some sources, Trent Dalton’s net worth is estimated to be around $1 million. He is one of Australia’s most celebrated journalists and authors, whose works have won numerous awards and captivated readers around the world.
He earns about $65,000 to $83,000 as an author, and more as a staff writer for The Weekend Australian Magazine. He has also sold the television adaptation rights for his novel Boy Swallows Universe to Netflix, which was released in January 2024.
