Our guest author for the May Murder Monday is NSW award-winning author, Dinuka McKenzie. She spoke about her crime craft to Jacq Ellem, bibliophile, copywriter, occasional broadcaster, award-winning podcaster, and a member of the new Tasmanian chapter.
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Dinuka’s debut crime fiction manuscript, The Torrent, won the 2020 Banjo Prize for fiction and was published by HarperCollins Australia in February 2022 to much acclaim. It follows her protagonist Detective Kate Miles, heavily pregnant with her second child and weeks from maternity leave.
Dinuka’s then unpublished manuscript in the series, Taken, was longlisted for the 2020 Richell Prize and was published in February by HarperCollins.
Dinuka’s writing has appeared in a wide range of publications including Dark Deeds Downunder crime fiction anthology (Clan Destine Press, 2022).
Like many authors in Sisters in Crime, Dinuka’s love of reading crime fiction has been the single biggest influence on her writing. She grew up reading Enid Blyton mysteries as a child and graduated to reading Agatha Christie in high school.
When not writing, Dinuka works in the environmental sector and volunteers as part of the team behind the Writers Unleashed Festival. She lives in Southern Sydney with her husband, two kids, and their pet chicken.
Murder Monday interviews are available on Sisters in Crime’s YouTube channel at 6 pm once a month on a Monday.