Richard Yaxley – August 29 2021

Richard is a teacher, amateur actor and award-winning writer. His other young adult novel is Spring Rain, the sequel to Drink the Air, and his novels for adults include The Rose Leopard, Bloodlines, The Musician and the Murderer, as well as The Fourth Window which is yet to be published. His other publications include the plays The Tribunal and The Right Thing, several short stories for adults, and Homecoming, a memoir of his great-uncle who landed at Gallipoli. He has co-authored many textbooks and CD Roms for secondary school students. Richard has received an Australia Council Literature Board Grant for Emerging Writers and a May Gibbs Literature Trust Creative Time Fellowship. He was awarded a Medal in the Order of Australia (OAM) in 2011 for services to education, literature and the performing arts.

Drink the Air [Verse novel]
Richard Yaxley, 2010; ISBN 9780646529554
Young adult
Tom lives in Hervey Bay, Zooey in Kingaroy. When separate tragedies bring them together, they are forced to leave their childhood lives behind in order to develop new understandings about how to cope with grief, love, friendship and most importantly, family. Written with grace and wisdom, Drink the Air is a verse novel which provides an affirmation of the need to give and accept love in order to better understand the truths of our lives.

Joyous and Moonbeam [Verse novel]
Omnibus Books, 2013; ISBN 9781862919877
Young adult
‘This is a very gentle read with a great message. Joyous and Moonbeam, almost on the edge of fantasy world, is a delightful story. The subtlety of the message makes an impression very early in the telling. Joyous finds himself in a place for the mentally ill and befriends a young girl, Moonbeam, who is having a number of issues in her life. Joyous is an innocent young man who accepts life as it comes with a philosophy of working things around a little to see the positives in life. He has had a very difficult life and Moonbeam learns a little about life as their relationship develops. Joyous, Moonbeam and Joyous’ mother speak to us in first person style, chapter by chapter slowly revealing each others’ life history. A great read.’ – Annette, Good Reads Review