AustLit

Writer, illustrator, and designer.

Born in Shepparton, Victoria, where his father ran a country veterinary practice with Danalis's mother, aunt, and uncle, Danalis was raised in Brisbane.

After school, Danalis worked as an advertising art director, among other roles. He also worked overseas for a period, including in London.

His first book, the picture book Uncle Lou's Tattoos, which he also illustrated, was published in 2000. As well as continuing to write and illustrate his own work, he also illustrated the work of other authors, including Anthony Eaton and Archimede Fusillo.

After publishing a number of picture books and children's books, Danalis published the memoir Riding the Black Cockatoo, an account of his journey to repatriate the remains of a Wamba Wamba man whose skull the Danalis family had kept on their mantelpiece. The memoir attracted a significant amount of critical attention, and was set as a GSCE (General Certificate of Secondary Education) text in British schools.