Luke Devenish - author

Luke’s ‘Empress of Rome’ historical fiction novels are an international publishing success. Book 1, Den of Wolves, was first published in Australia and New Zealand in 2008, before being released in the United States and Canada, and later translated into Spanish, Serbian and Russian editions. Book 2, Nest of Vipers, was released in the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand in 2010, with non-English language editions slated for 2011. Book 3, Stealth of Vixens, is due for release in 2011.

As well as writing novels, Luke writes for television. From 2001 to the end of 2007 he held key creative roles, including Script Producer, Story Editor and Supervising Script Editor, on the long-running Australian TV drama series, Neighbours. Luke oversaw 1,500 episode scripts for the internationally broadcast serial, creating dozens of much loved characters and long-running storylines. He represented Neighbours at the UK National Television Awards in London and spoke about its ongoing success at drama industry conferences in Cologne and Amsterdam. He also appeared in a series of behind-the-scenes programs about the show made for BBC 3. Before joining Neighbours, Luke was Script Executive on Something in the Air, and, as Assistant Commissioning Editor for Drama with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, he worked in the writing and development of SeaChange, RAW FM and other television series. He has also written for Home & Away. Luke’s television writing now sees him working in the development of new series concepts for production companies and networks.

Luke Devenish is also a playwright. Working at Melbourne’s St Martin’s Youth Arts Centre in the late 80s and early 90s, Luke’s plays were regularly staged for the Melbourne Fringe Festival. Productions of his work then went on to be commissioned by Melbourne’s Playbox Theatre, the Adelaide Festival, the Sydney Festival, the West Australian Academy of Performing Arts and the National Institute for Dramatic Arts, among others. Luke returned to the theatre in 2010, adapting (with Louise Fox) Dario Fo’s Elizabeth: Almost By Chance a Woman for Melbourne’s Malthouse Theatre.

Luke was a student of Curtin University’s creative writing stream in the mid-80s, studying fiction under renowned novelists Elizabeth Jolley and Tim Winton. In 2008 he appeared in an ABC TV documentary, IOU Elizabeth Jolley, where he spoke about his creative debt to the late author. Luke is now a lecturer himself, and in recent years has taught writing related subjects for the Australian Film Television & Radio School, the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology University, Monash University and the National Institute of Dramatic Arts.

When he’s not writing, Luke spends his time gardening, reading, travelling, cooking, watching, talking and listening.