Matt Dunn

Gratefully wordsmith, Matt Dunn pens a regular feature in each edition of Gippslandia.

Matt is a professional writer who has produced stories (and photos) for a wide variety of publications, including The Age, Herald Sun, Australian Geographic, Gippsland Magazine, Australian Shooter (for a compelling story about Gippsland's mythical big cat), and Gippslandia!

Matt's first novel, Red Time, was released through featherknightbooks.com.

Red Time is about a nomadic country footballer, Mick Stewart's quest to avenge his mother's murder, find a missing woman and put his team on the road to premiership glory.
Yes, it's a football crime drama - a genre we surely don't see frequently enough!

(You can buy a copy of Red Time here.)

Gippslandia: What do you love about being based in Gippsland?
The hills; the wildlife; the surf; the local footy and Meeniyan Hall, where you can see international talents without having to travel to the city. Most of all, though, I love the people – open, engaging, weird, and whacky. Outside the fringe, people have a freer outlook than their city cousins.

Why do you support Gippslandia?
It’s sad to say the information age has chewed up a lot of local papers. The democratised online space is anything but, and disinformation has proliferated in the absence of credible journalism. Gippslandia, to its credit, has championed the cause of presenting local content that is fact-checked, considered, intelligent and always entertaining.

What is your favourite piece that you’ve worked on for Gippslandia?
Whatever I just wrote. (And, Matt's written a lot!)

What does a successful and supportive community look like to you?
One where vested interests aren’t dictating terms or dominating the debate. A place where all voices are valued, not just the loudest.

Hot tip! How can visitors have the best time in our region?
Take a trip to Tidal River. I’m largely an atheist, but there’s no way that strip of surf, sand, sky and mountains arrived there by accident.