He is a beloved Aussie actor who has become a best-selling writer. Bryan Brown appears at the festival for the first time to chat about his first novel, The Drowning, which follows the stunning success of his short story collection, Sweet Jimmy. The Drowning is a cleverly plotted, tension-filled thriller that begins with the discovery of the body of a teenage boy on a beach in a sleepy northern NSW town. Trent Dalton has described the book as ’a work of rattling and serpentine suspense…gripping and sinuous and so, so good.’ Bryan speaks with Anna Downes about turning his talent to writing.