Author

Writing is, apparently, in Ian’s veins. He comes from a long line of published storytellers—his grandfather Bernard Capes, great-aunt Harriet Capes, uncle Renalt, and great-uncle John all left their mark in print—so perhaps it was inevitable.

But the real spark came from something much simpler: a colleague once told him a story about a group of kids riding home on the back of a huge horse… which calmly decided to walk straight through a dam. That image stuck. It grew. And eventually it became Scratcher, Ian’s first book.

Sixteen more followed, including the two published Twevven stories and numerous others ready to be illustrated.

Since then, his writing has ranged widely—from early childhood fantasy through to a dark, multi-generational crime novel involving multiple murderers. His stories travel across Australia, England, France, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, and the United States, moving between the past, an imagined present, and possible futures. And despite his best efforts to keep things serious, humour has a persistent way of finding its way in.

Alongside his writing, Ian has built a varied and practical career. He has worked across primary, secondary and tertiary education, project development and management, media concepts and production, and both business and creative writing. He holds degrees from three Australian universities—though he would probably tell you that most of what matters has been learned outside lecture rooms.

Community has also been a constant thread. Over the years, Ian has taken on leadership roles in Scouting, environmental and sporting organisations, and a walking group, as well as contributing to long-term support initiatives for rural communities in the developing world. This work was recognised with a Commonwealth Community Australia Day Award.

Right now, though, his focus is firmly on one thing: doing everything he can to bring this musical project, LvanB – Road to Joy, to the stage. You can find more information at ian-burns.com.