Martin Flanagan was born in Tasmania in 1955 and graduated with a law degree in 1975. He is the author of 20 books. Among them is a biography of Aboriginal footballer Michael Long (The Short Long Book, Penguin Random House). In 2006, an adaptation of his novel The Call was staged by Melbourne's Malthouse Theatre with Indigenous actors, stage manager and choreographer. From 1985 to 2017 he wrote for the Melbourne Age. He has written for numerous other publications both in Australia and overseas.