AustLit logo

AustLit

Matt Zurbo Matt Zurbo i(A33077 works by) (a.k.a. Matthew Zurbo)
Born: Established: 1967 Victoria, ;
Gender: Male
The material on this page is available to AustLit subscribers. If you are a subscriber or are from a subscribing organisation, please log in to gain full access. To explore options for subscribing to this unique teaching, research, and publishing resource for Australian culture and storytelling, please contact us or find out more.

Works By

Preview all
1 365 Stories in 365 Days Matt Zurbo , 2019 single work column
— Appears in: Magpies : Talking About Books for Children , July vol. 34 no. 3 2019; (p. 14)
1 1 y separately published work icon I Love Footy! Matt Zurbo , Kew East : Windy Hollow , 2013 Z1933351 2013 single work children's fiction children's

k'I Love Footy! is a wild, fun romp that shows kids that a world of fantasy and adventure can be real, if they just want to get involved. And that world is as close as their back yard! I Love Footy! shows that sport is not just about winning, it’s about enjoyment, friendship and having a go!' (Publication summary)
1 Live Life and Stories Will Follow Matt Zurbo , 2012 single work column
— Appears in: Viewpoint : On Books for Young Adults , Winter vol. 20 no. 2 2012; (p. 19)
1 Loneliness Matt Zurbo , 2010 single work prose
— Appears in: Viewpoint : On Books for Young Adults , Spring vol. 18 no. 3 2010; (p. 11)
1 Finding Time Matt Zurbo , 2010 single work column
— Appears in: Viewpoint : On Books for Young Adults , Winter vol. 18 no. 2 2010; (p. 13)
1 Writing and Recessions Matt Zurbo , 2009 single work column
— Appears in: Viewpoint : On Books for Young Adults , Summer vol. 17 no. 4 2009; (p. 10) Discussing the effect of having to 'tighten belts' on writers, editors, publishers and agents, Matt Zurbo says the (current) economic recession is a bad time for 'writers, creativity and the Australian public, for imagination and kids' as 'books and music are two of the first things to go from the shopping list'. He says that 'Each time there is a squeeze..we, as a culture, lose something more. A little more of the range that stretches and challenges makes a society whole'. He goes on to state that it is from these edges, 'the fringes', that 'the voices of our country and culture grow'.
1 Lo Importante, Importa Matt Zurbo , 2009 single work autobiography
— Appears in: Your Mother Would Be Proud : True Tales of Mayhem and Misadventure 2009; (p. 313-315)
1 A Love of Stories Matt Zurbo , 2009 single work column
— Appears in: Viewpoint : On Books for Young Adults , Winter vol. 17 no. 2 2009; (p. 8) Zurbo describes the path to publication of his first works.
1 Imagination and Art Matt Zurbo , 2009 single work column
— Appears in: Viewpoint : On Books for Young Adults , Autumn vol. 17 no. 1 2009; (p. 9) Matt Zurbo discusses contrasting styles of storytelling in picture books and refers to the work of Armin Greder, specifically An Ordinary Day and Shaun Tan's The Arrival, as examples of image-based stories that use minimal, or no verbal text as opposed to the 'real life' style Graeme Base re-introduced, or the popularity and longevity of 'rhyming books for young children' inspired by Dr Seuss. He tells of his communication with Armin Greder in regards to one of his own 'text-heavy stories': "My agent sent him the story . His reply was a very thorough, terse letter detailing his obvious passion for stories with minimal text...In short, he let rip at me." While Zurbo admires An Ordinary Day as 'a most beautiful book', he argues that this particular style is still 'just a trend' and stories will continue to be told '...some with barely ten words...others rich with language'. While some stories are 'art-driven' others are structured through rythym or language or a combination of both and it is 'these differences, not trends' that, according to Zarbo, 'make a culture' and 'let the best of what we all have to offer come forth'.
1 3 y separately published work icon My Dad's A Wrestler Matt Zurbo , Dean Gorissen (illustrator), Melbourne : Hachette Livre Australia , 2008 Z1621726 2008 single work picture book children's
1 When Chalk Dust Gets in Your Eyes Matt Zurbo , 2008 single work essay
— Appears in: Viewpoint : On Books for Young Adults , Spring vol. 16 no. 3 2008; (p. 8-9) Matt Zurbo demystifies the process of creative writing.
1 2 y separately published work icon Lu-Lu's Wish Matt Zurbo , Melbourne : Hachette Livre Australia , 2008 Z1500074 2008 single work children's fiction children's

'Somewhere between the age of four and ten Lulu Jones thinks she is missing out on things. Sure, she can clean her room and do her maths, but she wishes for something more. It seems as though everyone can do something special but her. One day Lulu finds an ordinary rock lying in a creek bed. She calls it her wishing rock and resolves to hold it tightly in the hope her wish will come true. Later that day she sees her friend, Tahli, painting on her easel, meets some circus kids performing amazing tricks and hears Joe Sax, playing his saxophone. Weeks and months go by and she never gives up on wishing, holding her rock tightly and never letting it go. Lulu is just about to give up and let go of her stone, when, to her amazement, she has shaped the stone with her hand and it has formed the shape of a perfect love heart.'  (Publication summary)
1 Writers On Writing Matt Zurbo , Matt Zurbo (illustrator), 2004 single work column
— Appears in: Viewpoint : On Books for Young Adults , Summer vol. 12 no. 4 2004; (p. 2-4)
1 7 y separately published work icon Hot Nights, Cool Dragons Matt Zurbo , Crows Nest : Allen and Unwin , 2004 Z1141821 2004 single work novel young adult
1 Snobs and Education Matt Zurbo , 2002 single work column
— Appears in: Viewpoint : On Books for Young Adults , Summer vol. 10 no. 4 2002; (p. 24-26)
1 It Rained Hard Outside Matt Zurbo , 2001 single work column short story
— Appears in: Viewpoint : On Books for Young Adults , Spring vol. 9 no. 3 2001; (p. 19)
1 6 y separately published work icon Flyboy and the Invisible Matt Zurbo , Ringwood : Penguin , 2001 Z829070 2001 single work novel young adult
1 Whithem Had Nothing to Lose Matt Zurbo , 1998 single work short story
— Appears in: Viewpoint : On Books for Young Adults , Summer vol. 6 no. 4 1998; (p. 5)
1 Oren Komornik Matt Zurbo , 1998 single work short story
— Appears in: Viewpoint : On Books for Young Adults , Summer vol. 6 no. 4 1998; (p. 4-5)
1 Things That Cruise the Midnight Boulevard Matt Zurbo , 1998 single work short story
— Appears in: Splash 1998; (p. 24-28)
X