Matt Porter’s first two books, My Country and Picture Perfect, were published simultaneously in 2011. Since then he’s written four books in his hilarious Crazy Relief Teachers series with a fifth due for release in September, 2017.
Among his other writing credits are stories in Challenge magazine and several teacher resource/student activity books. Matt takes pride in the meticulous research he undertakes for his books. He selflessly hurled dodgeballs at unsuspecting children while writing Mr Sergeant and the Dodgeballs of Doom. He sent a student to trial for Ms Law and the Corn-fusing Case of the Broken Window and submitted his family to crazy gameshows such as Disaster Chef and Wheel of Misfortune while writing Mr Jackpot and the Stash of Cash. After learning to wrestle a giant python Mr Crikey and the Greedy Griffith he is looking forward to the release of Ms Runway and Australia’s Next Top Merino.
Matt won the 2009 CYA Chapter Book Competition with his story Mr Sergeant and the Dodgeballs of Doom.
WHAT CYA CONFERENCE DID FOR ME
I was thrilled when I found out I’d won the 2009 CYA Chapter Book competition.
I entered the competition mainly because I knew each entry received feedback from the judges. I used this feedback, and the recognition that Mr Sergeant and the Dodgeballs of Doom had won, to rewrite my story and promote it to publishers. Celapene Press published the book in September 2011.
Tina Clark and Ally Howard were very encouraging and positive with their feedback after I entered the CYA competition. It’s fantastic to know there are people like them out there who will guide you on the road to publication.
CYA gave me the confidence to pursue my writing goals and I’d encourage anyone to enter.