About Dan

I spent most of my career at The Sydney Morning Herald, where I edited almost every section at one time or another, from Travel to Health and Science.

I also wrote for almost every section, including essays and literary articles for Spectrum, in addition to being the bar reviewer until the paper came to its senses and realised it was paying me to get liquored up. 

After leaving the SMH, I continued to freelance for both it and The Age, mainly through opinion columns such as: 

• There’s a special place in hell for those who use acronyms, memes or AI
• Can’t afford to buy a home? Consider yourself lucky.
• I have a message for knuckle-dragging engine-running bastards who keep their cars idling
• The late-night COVID text that made me maintain the cage
• Why are we letting ourselves be judged on Uber and Airbnb?
• Let’s be honest, I don’t care if you have a happy birthday
• Cutting short shamers down to size

I now run an editorial consultancy called Media Survival, which is a fancy way of saying I teach writing and editing courses for organisations in addition to advising them on how to improve their digital and print content.

I’ve also been writing fiction since I was old enough to be pretentious – and my short stories and poems have been published in a variety of journals. I was longlisted for the Great Australian Yarn award, shortlisted for the Lord Mayor’s Creative Awards in Melbourne, and rejected by almost every publisher and agent in the world.

Drowning in the Shallows is my first novel, and was launched in 2020, the week after Covid 19 became seriousness enough for borders to close. Yes, I am still in therapy.

Humidity is my second novel, and l’m hoping 2024 will be kinder.