Bunty Avieson

Who is Bunty Avieson?

Carolyn "Bunty" Avieson is an Australian journalist, feature writer, novelist and academic. She has published three novels, a novella and travel memoir; and been translated into Japanese, German and Thai. In 2002 her novel Apartment 255 won two Ned Kelly Crime Awards. She has an Associate Diploma of Journalism, a Master of Philosophy and is currently undertaking a PhD, about the media in Bhutan. In 2008-2009 she worked as a media consultant to newspaper Bhutan Observer, partly funded by the United Nations Development Program. She was a consultant to Journalists Without Borders, Asia Pacific Desk.

Avieson's partner is the film producer Mal Watson, who made The Cup and Travellers & Magicians, with writer/director Khyentse Norbu. Avieson and Watson have a daughter, Kathryn, who was the baby in the travel book Baby in a Backpack to Bhutan. They live in Sydney. Her father was the late Associate Professor John Avieson, one of Australia's first journalism academics. He started the journalism program at Deakin University in Geelong, Victoria, and authored several books, including Applied Journalism in Australia and Editing Australian Newspapers.