Holden Sheppard

Summary

Holden Sheppard is an award-winning West Australian author known for his bestselling coming-of-age novel Invisible Boys and acclaimed thriller novel The Brink, which each won several accolades and awards. His latest novel is King of Dirt, a gritty and heartfelt gay coming-of-age story for adults. Holden has previously served as the Deputy Chair of Writing WA and Vice-President of Peter Cowan Writers Centre. Holden is an experienced keynote speaker, panellist, moderator, MC, mentor and writing competition judge.

Biography

Holden Sheppard is an award-winning West Australian author whose debut coming-of-age novel Invisible Boys (Fremantle Press, 2019) won multiple accolades, including the WA Premier’s Prize for an Emerging Writer and the City of Fremantle Hungerford Award. The book has now been adapted as a television series with Stan Australia.

Holden’s second novel The Brink (Text Publishing, 2022) won the Young Adult category award at the 2023 Indie Book Awards and the 2024 Ena Noel Award, and was shortlisted for several others. His latest novel is King of Dirt (Pantera Press, 2025), a gritty and heartfelt gay coming-of-age story for adults.

Holden’s writing has been widely published in books, journals, anthologies and in the media, including WA Today/Sydney Morning Herald, The Nightly, AdNews, Ten Daily, the Huffington Post, Griffith Review and more.

Holden is an experienced keynote speaker, panellist, moderator, MC, mentor and writing competition judge. He has previously served as Deputy Chair of Writing WA (2019 - 2023) and Vice-President of Peter Cowan Writers' Centre (2017-2018).

Holden lives in Perth’s far north, with his husband and his V8 ute.

Relevant qualifications

- Member, Australian Society of Authors
- Bachelor of Arts (Honours, First Class) - Edith Cowan University
- Bachelor of Arts (Writing and French) - Edith Cowan University

Recent experience

- Keynote Speaker - Art Gallery of WA
- Panellist - Perth Festival Writers' Weekend
- Panellist - Sydney World Pride
- Keynote Speaker - ALIA New Librarian Symposium
- Keynote Speaker - Property Council of WA