David Sly

With an appetite for the great things in life, David Sly pursues stories that explore the vast domains of food, wine, music and tourism. It’s the current focus of David's 45-year career in journalism, as a reporter, features writer and editor through newspapers, magazines and now as a freelance contributor to a raft of Australian and international publications, including James Halliday Wine Companion and Decanter magazine. His experience in food and wine writing includes national awards and a graduate degree in the University of Adelaide/ Le Cordon Bleu Gastronomy course. He has also written extensively about many of his other consuming passions; music, theatre, comedy, snow skiing, travel, cycling and the wider universe of sport.

He has published six books, the most recent being Finnenisms, a biography of Australian blues guitar legend Chris Finnen. David has written a composite history This Is South Australia; a history of Mt Lofty House in the Adelaide Hills and The Reef House, Palm Cove in far north Queensland; a history of the Royal Society of the Blind, and a biography of master chef Cheong Liew called Inside My Food: Unlocking the Secrets of 100 Extraordinary Dishes.

David is also a judge of the MUD Literary Prize, for the best debut Australian literary novel, presented each year at Adelaide Writers' Week.