James Moloney

Who is James Moloney?

James "Jim" Moloney is an Australian children's author who has written 45 books including The Book of Lies, The Gracey Trilogy, and A Bridge to Wiseman's Cove, which won the Australian Children's Book Council Book of the Year Award in 1997. While his books span an age range from seven- to seventeen-year-olds, he is best known for his young adult novels.

Moloney was born in Sydney but grew up in Brisbane where he still lives today with his wife, Kate. He trained as a teacher and later became a teacher–librarian, a role which sparked his interest in children's literature and eventually led to his early attempts at writing. His first book, Crossfire, was published in 1992. His most recent book is Disappearing Act about a young stage magician who travels to the small Principality of Montilagus to redeem his family's reputation. In 1998 he resigned from teaching at Marist College Ashgrove and now writes full-time in a cabin in his backyard affectionately known by the family as 'Dad's Shed'.

He has stated that his book Black Taxi was based on a conversation he overheard between his daughter and some of her friends when she was sixteen.