AUTHOR / POET

Tim Collins is a poet, novelist and playwright. His first novel, ASPECTS OF DEATH, was short-listed in the 1995 Harper Collins Fiction Prize. In 1996 he won the Tropic Line Theatre New Play Writing Award for Queensland for his play BURRA AND THE TURKEYS.

Tim's fourth book of poetry, HOUSE OF VOICES, was short-listed in the Vincent Buckley Poetry Prize and highly commended in the Jessie Litchfield Award for Literature. His collection of short stories CAKE TIN AND OTHER STORIES was commended in the Jessie Litchfield Award for Literature.

In 1997 Tim became the first Australian to be awarded a writer's residency at the Chateau de Lavigny International Writers' Colony in Switzerland. That same year he was writer in residence at Charles Sturt University. His latest poetry book, THE RUINED ROOM was launched at the Queensland Poetry Festival in 2000.

Tim teaches creative writing in schools, TAFE colleges and at tertiary level. Currently he is working on THE CROOKED FLOOR, his sixth book of poetry, and THE RAVINGS OF BALLANTYNE FINI, his second novel.

Tim works with students in Year levels 5 to 12 on writing poetry, short stories and scripts. He specialises in the making of huge poetry banners and posters. He also conducts motivational talks for Year 11 & 12 students, organises and leads environmental literary walks and does professional development for teachers.

He lives in Brisbane with his family, a pet snake called Brown Eyes and a fish named Flippant.