Kenneth Cook was born in Sydney in 1929. He achieved recognition as a fiction writer with the publication of his first novel Wake in Fright in 1961. Critically acclaimed, it has been translated into several languages and is still in print 45 years later. It was made into a classic Australian film in 1971.Wake in Fright was followed by over 20 fiction and non-fiction books, including Eliza Frazer, Bloodhouse, Tuna and Pig . His antiwar beliefs were reflected in his powerful novel The Wine of God's Anger and in the play Stockade. Kenneth Cook died of a heart attack in 1987 while on a publicity tour promoting Wombat Revenge, the second volume in his bestselling trilogy of humorous short stories.