Dorothy Johnston


Dorothy Johnston is an Australian author of both crime and literary fiction. She has published novels, short stories and essays.
Born in Geelong, Victoria, Australia, Johnston trained as a teacher at the University of Melbourne and later worked as a researcher in the education field. She lived in Canberra from 1979 to 2008, and currently lives in Ocean Grove, Victoria. She is a former President of Canberra PEN. She was a founding member of the Seven Writers Group, also known as Seven Writers or the Canberra Seven, established in March 1980. Five of the original members ceased with the group, but Johnston and Margaret Barbalet continued with new writers.
She was a member of Writers Against Nuclear Arms, with her novel Maralinga, My Love, focusing on the impacts of nuclear testing in Australia.

Awards and grants

Novels

Her books include the Sandra Mahoney quartet of mystery novels.

Sandra Mahoney series

The Trojan Dog The White Tower
  • Eden
  • ''The Fourth Season''

Sea-Change Mystery series

Through a Camel's Eye

Standalone novels

Tunnel Vision Ruth Maralinga, My Love One for the Master
  • ''The House at Number 10''

Short stories

  • "The New Parliament House" and "The Boatman Of Lake Burley Griffin", published in Canberra Tales: Stories ; Below the Water Line and The Invisible Thread, A Hundred Years of Words
  • "A Christmas Story", published in Motherlove
  • "Two Wrecks", published in Best Australian Stories and Best Australian Stories: A Ten-year Collection
  • "Quicksilver's Ride", published in Best Australian Stories
Essays