Bradley Christmas has worked as a social worker, English language teacher and children's entertainer. These days as a freelance copywriter he helps charities like Greenpeace, The Royal Flying Doctor Service and The Sydney Children's Hospital Network share their stories. His short fiction has appeared in a number of magazines and publications including The Big Issue and received several award nominations. His first book, Saltwater Boy, is a novel for readers aged 10 to 14 and it was published by Walker Books in March (more about Saltwater Boy below).
Christmas can also regularly be found performing around Australia with his country band Copperline - and if you'd like to see my interview with him about Copperline's latest release, 'Gabriel', go to Sunburnt Country Music. He is a very rare creature, as a songwriter who has also written and released a novel, so this interview was a wonderful opportunity to ask him about different kinds of writing and storytelling.
Saltwater Boy on Apple Books: https://apple.co/3MN7JPp
Bradley's band Copperline: https://copperline.bandcamp.com/
ABOUT SALTWATER BOY
Heartfelt and poignant, this coming of age story explores father-son relationships, against a backdrop of small town rivalries, buried truths, with themes of sustainability, preserving the past and environmental care.
When Dad goes to jail, Matthew and his mum move to the coast, so mum – an artist – thinks she can renovate her late father’s old place to sell it to get them back on their feet. Matthew strikes up a friendship with Old Bill, an Indigenous man who becomes a father figure to him, and teaches him how to find and eat pippis, fish (and to make a few dollars from it). Dad gets out on parole and moves back in with the family, but his anger fractures the newfound peace and everything is once again at stake, and in peril.