Matthew Reilly (b. 1974) is a successful writer of popular fiction novels characterised by suspenseful narratives and futuristic scenarios. Inspired by the urgent pacing of graphic novels, action movies and video games, they have been published in more than twenty countries and have found a strong readership amongst young males. Born in Sydney, Reilly wrote and self-published his first novel Contest in 1994, when he was a law student and drove a Celica. Copies placed in a Sydney bookshop quickly sold out and gained the interest of a major publisher. Since then Reilly has written at least fourteen novels of which nearly 8 million copies have been sold. A fan of Hollywood action and fantasy cinema, he has collected movie memorabilia including props from the Raiders of the Lost Ark and the Star Wars series.
Denis Montalbetti and Gay Campbell produced a deliberately slick image that alludes to Reilly’s passion for cars – including a DeLorean DMC 12, about which he has written ruefully and affectionately, and an Aston Martin Vantage (his favourite).
Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Purchased 2009
© Montalbetti & Campbell
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