News and events
14 October 2024
New manuscript finished!
I’ve finished a new manuscript! It’s currently with my agent, Samuel Bernard, but will soon be heading off to my publisher, Pan Macmillan. Its current title is The Pinch. I say current because none of my original book titles have survived the publishing process, so it may not be called that when it’s published. This one’s a little more commercial than my previous two novels. It’s a suspense novel with a star-crossed lovers storyline set in Hawaii and Sydney. Stay tuned!
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11 October 2024
Love Your Bookshop Day event
Tomorrow is Love Your Bookshop Day, and I’ll appearing at Escape Hatch Books in Kew for an in-conversation with Gabriel Bergmoser. The event is free, and we’ll be talking about our books, our careers and the writing life. Pop down to 643 High Street in Kew if you’re around at 3pm.
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3 October 2024
In conversation with Christian White
In a week’s time, I’ll be at Collins Booksellers in Moonee Ponds chatting to Christian White
about his mind-bending new novel, The Ledge. It’s a free event, but please book via the
Collins website: https://mooneeponds.collinsbooks.com.au/
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20 September 2024
Queenscliff Literary Walk
To coincide with the Queenscliffe Literary Festival, the Queenscliff Library is hosting a walk around the town on 26 October. The stops will include locations from The Broken Wave and finish with a morning tea with me at the library. I believe this event is already sold out, but contact the library if you’d like to get on the waiting list.
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2 August 2024
Hayley Scrivenor event
Last night I had the immense pleasure of sitting down with crime author Hayley Scrivenor to talk about her new novel, Girl Falling. It took place at Readings Emporium in Melbourne to a packed crowd. Hayley is such a wonderful person who talks about her work with such passion and eloquence. It truly was a joy!
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12 January 2024
The Broken Wave goes into reprint!
Thank you to everyone who has bought, read, borrowed, shared, recommended, reviewed and/or listened to The Broken Wave. At only six weeks old, it’s my most successful book so far, outselling Things We Bury in its first month and now going into reprint (a first for me!). I'm so thrilled about this, and I'm quite amazed at the way readers have embraced Drew and Tom’s story.
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13 October 2023
Upcoming events for The Broken Wave
It would be great to catch up with you at one of my upcoming events to celebrate the launch of The Broken Wave:
November
"The Broken Wave" book launch – in conversation with Mark Smith
The Reading Room, Fitzroy Town Hall
Tuesday 28 November at 6:30pm
Register at: https://www.trybooking.com/CMCCH
"The Broken Wave" with Matthew Ryan Davies, in conversation with Gina Perry
Beaumaris Library
Wednesday 29 November at 6:30pm
Register at: https://bayside.events.mylibrary.digital/event?id=27730
Books in Bars with Matthew Ryan Davies
The Groove Train, Waurn Ponds (hosted by Dymocks, Waurn Ponds)
Thursday 30 November at 6:30pm
Register at: https://www.eventbrite.com.au/o/dymocks-waurn-ponds-42582333303
December
Author Encounters
Queenscliff Library
Thursday 7 December at 11:30am
Register at: https://www.grlc.vic.gov.au/whats-on/matthew-ryan-davies-broken-wave
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6 October 2023
Join me for the launch of The Broken Wave
Please join me to celebrate the launch of The Broken Wave on Tuesday 28 November at 6:30pm. The event will take place in the majestic Reading Room at Fitzroy Town Hall in Melbourne.
For more information and to register, please visit the TryBooking website.
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5 July 2023
Early endorsements for The Broken Wave
I'm thrilled to be getting some early love for The Broken Wave, due out in November. Here's what some fellow authors had to say about it:
‘Superbly characterised and almost unbearably tense, The Broken Wave had me both holding my breath and turning the pages. Davies writes with assurance and empathy, transporting the reader through one golden childhood summer to a shocking tragedy that will ricochet down the years. Haunting and heartfelt, I am still thinking about The Broken Wave weeks after finishing it.’
– Kylie Ladd
‘In The Broken Wave, an American writer struggles with his difficult second novel. Matthew Ryan Davies would seem to have no such problem: this second novel is a taut and compassionate examination of the way the people we know as children mark us forever. As it builds to its devastating conclusion, The Broken Wave will leave you breathless.’
– Hayley Scrivenor
‘Unlike anything else you’ll read this year. A gripping page-turner that had my heart racing as the story unfolded. The shocking revelation will stay with you a long time.’
– Peter Papathanasiou
‘The Broken Wave drags you in from its first pages and refuses to let go. Flowing with ease between idyllic past and haunted present, it builds an irresistible mystery suffused with all-too-real pain and melancholy. Don't miss it.’
– Gabriel Bergmoser
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21 May 2023
Book 3 has a title!
My third novel (second for the adult market) will be called The Broken Wave. The Broken Wave is about an American novelist who travels to the Victorian seaside town of Queenscliff for the funeral of an old friend, triggering memories of a childhood trauma he has been suppressing. It moves between 1992 (when the main character was a 12-year-old boy living in Queenscliff) and 2018 when he returns for the funeral. It deals with grief and unresolved trauma but also the ever-lasting bond of childhood friendships.
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5 April 2023
Things We Bury optioned for TV
BIG NEWS! Things We Bury has been optioned for a television series by Melbourne-based writer/producer Anna Barnes. Anna is an award-winning playwright, screenwriter and author. She created, wrote and script-produced the upcoming series 'Safe Home', which is airing on SBS later this year. 'Safe Home' is a four-part series dealing with domestic violence.
Having Things We Bury optioned for TV doesn’t necessarily mean it will get made, but Anna is passionate about the issues raised in the book and I know will work hard to get it funded. I'm excited!
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4 December 2022
New novel set for release in November 2023
My next (as yet untitled) novel will be released at the end of 2023. The story is set in the seaside town of Queenscliff in Victoria and moves between 1992 and 2018. It tells the story of Drew Iverson, a writer who travels to Australia for the funeral of an old friend, triggering a childhood trauma he has been suppressing. It will be copyedited in early 2023 and hopefully by then we'll have a title!
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10 September 2022
Nationwide review of Things We Bury in the News Corp papers
A nationwide review of Things We Bury was published today in 10 News Corp newspapers
across the country. The same review appeared in:
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Herald-Sun, V Weekend (Victoria)
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Courier Mail, Q Weekend (Queensland)
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Hobart Mercury (Tasmania)
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Adelaide Advertiser, SA Weekend (South Australia)
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Saturday Telegraph (NSW)
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Weekend Post (Queensland)
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Toowoomba Chronicle (Queensland)
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Northern Territory News (Northern Territory)
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Townsville Bulletin (Queensland)
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Weekend Gold Coast Bulletin (Queensland).
I was so grateful to get such a positive review, particularly because it was distributed
so widely.
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21 August 2022
In conversation at the Sam Merrifield library
I will be appearing with the fantastic YA author Karen Ginnane for a chat about all things writing at Sam Merrifield library in Moonee Ponds on 2 November at 6.30 pm. For more info and to book, check out the library's events page. It's free!
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2 July 2022
Interviews and more
Listen to me rabbiting on about Things We Bury on the So You Want To Be A Writer podcast and on 3CR's Published or Not program. I've also recorded an episode of Final Draft with Andrew Pople on 2SER and one with Dani Vee from the Words and Nerds podcast, which will be available shortly. You can catch me live as part of Dymocks Camberwell's First Tuesday Book Club on 2 August at the Rivoli Cinema.
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14 April 2022
Mark Brandi to launch Things We Bury
I'm excited to announce that the wonderful Melbourne-based novelist Mark Brandi will be launching Things We Bury. The date for the launch is the night before the official publication date – 27 June – and it will take place at Readings bookshop in Carlton from 6.30 pm. It will be a free event, but bookings are essential.
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30 May 2022
Kicking off promotion
Promotional activities for Things We Bury are in full swing. This week I'm recording interviews with Jan Goldsmith from the Published or Not radio program on 3CR and Valerie Khoo from the So You Want To Be A Writer podcast. I'm also writing an article for the Booktopian blog, to be released during Men's Health Week, and have answered a Q&A from the Australian Arts Review's On the Couch series. Not sure when any of these things are going live, but keep an eye on my social media for details.
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28 June 2022
Up, up and away!
Today is the official launch date for Things We Bury and I couldn't be more excited. We had the launch last night and I was so grateful to, first, have an in-person launch and, second, to have the support of readers, writers, friends and family who gathered at Readings Carlton to help me celebrate.
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6 April 2022
Cover reveal
After what feels like years (but has only been months), I can finally share the amazing cover for Things We Bury. As soon as I saw it, I loved it. My grateful thanks to publisher Alex Lloyd for his inspired concept and to Christa Moffitt for the beautiful design. Thanks also to Mark Brandi, Sally Hepworth and Malcolm Knox for the blushingly lovely endorsements.
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8 December 2021
Done and dusted
Things We Bury is ready to go – the copyedit is done, the typesetting, the proofread, the cover, the back cover blurb. Now I just have to wait another seven months for the official publication date. The hard copy, the e-book and the audiobook will all be released simultaneously, so stay tuned for an official date.
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20 September 2021
Cover sorted
A couple of weeks ago Pan Macmillan presented me with the concept for the cover for my new novel and I loved it straight away. It sets just the right tone. A few tweaks and now we're done. Can't wait to share it with you all in early 2022. We have a locked-in title now too – Things We Bury.
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26 April 2021
Contracts signed!
I'm thrilled to announce that today I signed a contract with Pan Macmillan Australia for two novels – the first to be published in June 2022 and the second in August 2023. Both are general contemporary fiction, aimed at the adult market this time.