Thomas (Tom) Keneally was born in Sydney in 1935. Of Irish descent, he trained for several years for the Catholic priesthood but did not take orders. He worked as a school teacher, clerk and drama teacher. In the mid-1960s Keneally embarked on an extraordinary career as a writer, with remarkable success in Australia and overseas. He has won many prestigious literary awards. He won the Booker Prize in 1982 and has won the Miles Franklin Award twice.
A multi-talented media and live performer, Geoff Hiscock has extensive experience working in television, theatre, and radio. He is widely known as the host of a range of music and variety shows, and made nightly appearances on In Melbourne Tonight in the 1960s. His career as a newsreader included a stint working for ABC TV and radio. Geoff currently runs his own video production house, operating a business video service to corporate clients.