60 seconds with... Matt McGuire

Originally from Belfast, Matt is an English Lecturer and crime writer – “I read books, write books and talk about books!”

Recently moving to Australia, Matt attended Edinburgh University as a student and then spent a few years lecturing at the University of Glasgow.

Matt started at UWS in October 2011 and is based at Bankstown campus.

Matt’s primary research is on Irish and Scottish Literature and he is currently writing a book entitled The History of Scottish Crime Fiction.

His debut novel, Dark Dawn, was launched at Gleebooks in June 2012.

What’s the best thing about working here?
Hands down the best thing is the people – academic colleagues, admin staff, and students.

I have really enjoyed getting to know everyone and feel very lucky to be able to work with such great folk.

What is your favourite place on campus?
It might sound lame, but the classroom!

This generally means that I am talking with my students about literature or am getting to listen to someone else talk about literature. As a day job it takes some beating.

When you’re not at work, what will we find you doing?
Pretending to be a parent – Jack is 3 and Liam is 6 months old.

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
A professional golfer.

What was your first job?
I worked in the warehouse at Dunnes Stores, Ireland’s equivalent of Woolworths.

What has been your greatest success?
Getting married and having kids – and after that, probably publishing a novel. Dark Dawn came out in 2012. It is a crime thriller set in post conflict Northern Ireland featuring DS John O’Neill. The follow up, When Sorrows Come, is due out in 2013.

If you could go to just one country in the world for a vacation, which country would it be?
Tibet – quite fancy some of that mountaineering malarkey.

What is your favourite book, movie and/or album?
Way too difficult to answer! At the moment I quite like Peter Temple’s novel Truth and anything by Radiohead usually hits the mark. 

If you could invite anyone to dinner who would it be and why?
Woody Allen and Charlie Chaplin – you could just sit back, fill your face and laugh your head off.