Doug MacLeod
Doug MacLeod is a Melbourne-based writer and TV producer who has worked on many of Australia's most popular comedy shows, including The Comedy Company, Fast Forward, Big Girls' Blouse, The Micallef Program and SeaChange. He was also the script editor on Kath and Kim.
While he enjoys the TV work, he prefers writing books for young people. After leaving his full-time job in TV, Doug wrote the teenage novel Tumble Turn, which was published by Penguin in 2003, and is on the syllabus at Deakin University.
On The Cards is a book of ridiculous greeting card rhymes with an introduction by Ben Elton that Doug wrote for the international charity Comic Relief in 2002. A second book of creepy rhymes, Spiky, Spunky, My Pet Monkey, was released in 2004. Both books are illustrated by Craig Smith and published by Penguin. Craig and Doug again collaborated on Leon Stumble’s Book of Stupid Fairytales, published by Working Title in 2005.
Doug’s second young adult novel for Penguin, I’m Being Stalked by a Moonshadow (2006), was shortlisted for the New South Wales Premier’s Awards, and published in America by Front Street Press.
Two fantasy novels, Kevin the Troll (2007) and The Clockwork Forest (2008), came next and were also published by Penguin. The Clockwork Forest was presented as a play at The Sydney Theatre Company in 2008.
Doug’s third young adult novel, Siggy and Amber, was released by Penguin in 2009.
But he’s probably best known for a book called Sister Madge’s Book of Nuns, which was published in 1986. He's less well known for The Life of a Teenage Body-snatcher, which was published by Penguin in 2010 and is a much better book, especially if you like your comedy a little black.
Recent non-book-related activities include co-devising the animated TV series, Dogstar, for which he has won two Australian Writers’ Guild Awards and the inaugural John Hinde Award for Science Fiction. There are 52 episodes. Doug wrote half of them. Philip Dalkin wrote the other half. The show plays all over the world and premiered on the BBC.
With satirist John Clarke and composer Alan John he wrote a play based on May Gibbs’ famous children’s book, Snugglepot and Cuddlepie. It was directed by Neil Armfield and premiered at The Sydney Festival in 2007.
With comedian Tracy Harvey he co-wrote the musical Call Girl in 2009, which had two Melbourne seasons.
In 2008 Doug received the Fred Parsons Lifetime Achievement Award for Contribution to Australian Comedy at the Australian Writers’ Guild Awards.
“You must think it strange that I'm digging up my grandfather.""Not at all. I'm sure many young men dig up their grandfathers.”
“I’m not scared any more,’ said Midge. ‘Thank you, Kevin. Sometimes you can be very kind.’‘Yes,’ said Kevin. ‘And if you tell that to any of the other trolls I will pull off your nose and feed it to a bear.”
“No one here is allowed to die without my permission.”
“You don’t understand,’ I said. ‘I need to be with her. With every fibre of my being I ache for her. I’m in love.’‘I do understand,’ said Zoran. ‘It was same for me with Mrs Zoran when I first meet her. But the feeling goes away after few hours.”
“Are you sure this is a good idea?’ I ask.‘No,’ says Amber. ‘Let’s do it.”
“I feel like I’m going to die,’ he says.‘Could we talk for a few minutes before you die?’‘Only if you do it quietly.’‘I met this girl last night. I need your advice.’‘Come back later.’‘No. You might be dead.”
“As it happens, I’m a terrible dancer. Bears are simply not made for dancing. We’re much better at sitting and sleeping and singing. But there are humans who catch bears and force us to dance. It’s agony. And there are other humans who pay to watch us.’Hannah sighed. ‘I suppose you’re right to distrust humans.’‘And that is why I must eat you,’ said the bear forlornly. ‘For the benefit of the entire bear population of the world. I’m awfully sorry about this.’‘That’s all right.’ Hannah shrugged her shoulders. ‘Is there any point in my trying to run away?’‘None. We bears may not be able to dance but we are experts when it comes to chasing things.’‘What if I climb a tree?’‘I’ll climb up after you, or push the tree over. It all depends on what sort of tree you choose to climb. Either way, you’ll end up eaten.’‘So be it,’ said Hannah. ‘How should I prepare myself?’‘I beg your pardon?’‘Will you eat me with my clothes on?’‘Of course. Otherwise it would be bad manners.”
“Life would be a great deal easier if dead things had the decency to remain dead.”