I am a writer, journalist, author, communications specialist and social scientist who instinctively has a different take on things.  I look for counter-intuitive angles that reveal something new.

I have spent my life interested in complicated, dark, bureaucratic and playful topics: wars, the history of dissection, mullets, humanitarianism and so much more. I’ve told thousands of stories in print, broadcast, digital and on stage, bringing important, funny and unexpected ideas and issues to millions of people globally.

My most recent work is The Pleasures of War, my PhD thesis in International Relations from the University of Sydney. It investigates the different pleasures in war, why they are missing from public discourse and academic literature, and what we miss out by not exploring them.

The Pleasures of War was inspired by my experiences as a communications advisor for the United Nations in Afghanistan, Pakistan, North Ossetia and South Sudan.

I’m also the author of The Great Dead Body Teachers, a critically acclaimed book on human anatomy and whole body donation, longlisted for the 2023 Walkley Book Award and the NIB Literary Award.

My journalism has appeared in The New York Times, The Guardian, Reuters, The Sydney Morning Herald, The Bulletin, Monocle, SBS, Harpers Bazaar, Strewth! and many other publications.

I’ve also produced radio and TV for The Australian Broadcasting Corporation and curated live talks for TEDx Sydney, The Ethics Centre and my own program Clear Spot Club.

I can be booked for main-stage keynotes on The Pleasures of War and The Great Dead Body Teacher. I continue to consult for government, not-for-profits, universities and the media.