‘It could have been fatal': What pushed crime author Mark Brandi to focus on writing

This story is part of the June 21 edition of Good Weekend. See all 15 stories.
Mark Brandi, the author of five crime novels, starting with Wimmera (published in 2017 and winner of the prestigious British Crime Writers' Association Debut Dagger Award for an Unpublished Manuscript), writes about outsiders: heroin addicts, former prisoners, and child victims of poverty and violence. A look at his family background and his career in Corrective Services before he started writing full-time sheds light on why he is drawn to people on the margins.
You were born in 1978 in Italy, the fourth son of migrants who ran a pub in Stawell, in rural Victoria. What was your childhood like? There were great aspects to growing up in the country. We went rabbiting, fishing, yabbying, all that stuff. The flip side was being in a small Victorian town which was very Anglo-Saxon. We were the only Italian family, which was tough, especially in the schoolyard. I couldn't make friends, and I didn't know why. You start to think, 'There's something wrong with me.' Then, some of the kids told me, 'My dad told me not to be friends with you because you're a wog.'
Did that childhood experience feed into your interest in writing about people who are outsiders? Yes, definitely. Being an outsider myself created a greater degree of empathy for others on the margins. Plus, when you are on the outside, wanting to be accepted, you start to observe people closely. I was watching kids in the schoolyard – how they spoke, what they talked about – and that observational skill has helped me in my writing.
Also, growing up in the pub, where I met people from all walks of life: farmers, police officers, chronic alcoholics, criminals. When I started working behind the bar, my dad always said, 'Don't make judgments about people based on how they look. Talk to them because everyone's got a story they want to share.' And that's what I found over time. You listen to people who might look a bit rough and they often had the most interesting stories. That sparked something inside me. When I sat down to write, it affected the subject matter I was drawn to.
Your parents ran the pub successfully for many years. Then in the 1980s, the local police started to harass them. What happened? In the 1980s, there were [false] rumours that we were dealing drugs from the pub. At the time, thanks partly to Robert Trimbole [a prominent Mafia figure of Italian background who was involved in the drug trade in Griffith, in south-west NSW], there was a perception that Italians doing well might be linked to organised crime.
The police started to take a keen interest in the pub, showing up regularly, checking patrons' IDs and security logbooks. It was relentless. It seemed like they were trying to drive Dad out of business. It was crazy because he was the most clean-living person you could imagine.
Then, one night in 1985, there were people from out of town in the bar, drinking heavily. They started provoking some of the customers to violence, then pulled out their badges and said they were undercover police. They started to arrest patrons indiscriminately, grabbing them from their bar stools by the hair. I was seven and heard it all from my room upstairs. It was terrifying.
They took people to the cells, then showed up the next morning and charged Dad with multiple breaches of his licence. When it went to court Dad ended up pleading guilty to illegal gambling on the premises – for having a footy tipping competition on the wall, which every pub in Victoria had at the time. None of the other charges stuck.
The police kept up the harassment, and it was unbelievably stressful for my parents. It led to them deciding to sell the pub, which was a bitter pill for my dad. He loved running that pub.
You studied criminal justice at Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT) then worked for 10 years in the criminal justice system in Victoria, including as a political adviser to the corrections minister. Tell us about that. I loved studying criminal justice: the law is fascinating, full of drama and good versus evil stories. We learnt about the social determinants of crime and why we label people deviants. After RMIT, I got a placement at the Department of Justice [now Justice and Community Safety], where I worked in multicultural policy, disability policy, emergency services, gambling and other areas.
I went into the department a bit as a crusader, wanting to make a difference. That was partly born of that experience in the pub, seeing power exercised unjustly, and the terrible impact it can have on people.
I wanted to do something positive, and that led me to work as an adviser to the corrections minister, advising on corrections, emergency services and counterterrorism. I loved that job.
'I don't believe that we are a meritocracy in that jingoistic way we like to believe. I don't think we are the land of the fair go.'
Your latest novel, Eden, is about a man who spent time in prison, trying to rebuild his life. What did your work in corrections teach you about the prison system? I learnt that we essentially have the same cohort cycling through the prison system again and again. The recidivism rate is stubbornly stuck on about 40 per cent [on average] Australia-wide. It was dispiriting to see the impotence of some of the initiatives to address the problem. You can't just fix it through the prison or justice system. The broader social justice issue is how you keep people from getting into the prison system in the first place.
You have written before about class in Australia. Are we the classless society we like to think we are? No. It's incredibly tough for people to overcome the circumstances that they're born into. I don't believe that we are a meritocracy in that jingoistic way we like to believe. I don't think we are the land of the fair go. A lot of people struggle throughout their lives and are sold this message that if you don't make it, it's your fault. That's not true. There are so many things beyond our control that affect our chances in life. Everyone is doing their best to live a good life; no one is seeking to fail.
Let's talk about the role luck has played in your life. In 2010, you had some good luck. What happened? I decided I would like to do some writing, but needed money so I could move to part-time work. My brother suggested I go on Eddie McGuire's Millionaire Hot Seat because I was good at trivia. I thought I'd humiliate myself, but I won $50,000! That enabled me to move to part-time work and start a writing course at RMIT, which was life-changing.
In 2012, you were a victim of an equally life-changing piece of bad luck. What happened? I was riding my bike down Brunswick Street in North Fitzroy, a busy area. A car turned right in front of me and didn't see me. It hit me, and I went flying over the handlebars. I had to have two shoulder operations and the recovery was painful; I was out of action for six months.
It was unlucky, but in some ways it was a bit of good fortune because it brought things into stark relief for me. I realised it could have been fatal, and I got to thinking about what was important to me in my life. Of course, that was family and those close to me, but also my writing. I realised that I really needed to focus on it and give it a proper go. So I quit my job to jump into the financially precarious world of being a writer. It's a struggle; you can't plan for the future. Forget about super. I rely heavily on government grants.
Is it worth it? I absolutely love it. There's nothing else I would want to be doing. When I'm writing a book I love being inside of it, even though my characters are often in difficult circumstances.
The two most satisfying things are when I finish a book and I know it's working, and hearing from readers at writers' festivals. That is magic: you've created this imaginary world, and they've gone away and created something bigger out of it, with their own interpretation of it. That's what keeps me coming back to the page.
Dogs feature in almost all your books, often in a prominent role. Why? I've always loved dogs. When I was a little kid having a tough time at school we had dogs, and they were my best friends. Dogs have no agenda; it's just unconditional love. They are special to me, so it's inevitable that they end up in my books. I'm paying tribute to their role in my life and the lives of many others.
Why did you choose to be photographed in Melbourne General Cemetery for this article? It is just a couple of streets from where I live. My father is buried there, as are his parents, and I've spent a lot of time exploring its sprawling grounds, mostly while walking my dog.
Then a few years back, while visiting my father's grave, I encountered someone sleeping rough near one of the mausolea. I began to wonder about what had brought him there. It was the spark that led me to write my
latest book, Eden. It features in Eden very prominently.

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Dr Rogers said the Crown alleged the only 'logical explanation' was Ms Patterson knew very well she had not eaten death caps and had fled home to work out how to manage the situation. She returned to hospital at 9.48am, allegedly feigning being sick, and was transferred to the Monash Medical Centre in Melbourne. Ms Patterson has pleaded not guilty. NewsWire / Paul Tyquin Credit: News Corp Australia Dr Rogers told the jury Ms Patterson was discharged 24 hours after returning to hospital, with medical results showing no evidence of mushroom poisoning. The prosecutor alleged the accused woman's actions after returning home amounted to a 'cover up'. These included allegedly lying about feeding the leftovers, without the mushrooms and pastry, to her kids, dumping the food dehydrator used to dry death caps and handing a 'dummy phone' to police. 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'We say there is no reasonable alternative explanation for what happened to the lunch guests, other than the accused deliberately sourced death cap mushrooms and deliberately included them in the meal she served them, with an intention to kill them,' Dr Rogers said. Simon's parents, Don and Gail Patterson, died a day apart in early August 2023. Supplied. Credit: Supplied She asked jurors to consider what they would have done if it was really a horrible accident. 'Would you go into self-preservation mode just worrying about protecting yourself from blame?' the prosecutor asked. 'No. That's not what you'd do. You would do everything you could to help the people you love.' What the defence say Colin Mandy SC, Ms Patterson's barrister, began his address by listing out 'two simple issues' he said the jury would have to determine. These were; is there a reasonable possibility that death cap mushrooms were put into this meal accidentally, and is there a reasonable possibility that his client did not intend to kill her guests. Mr Mandy argued the prosecution had taken a flawed approach to the case, starting with the theory that Ms Patterson was guilty and working backwards by cherry-picking convenient fragments and discarding inconvenient truths. Colin Mandy SC is spearheading Ms Patterson's defence. NewsWire/Ian Currie Credit: News Corp Australia The defence lawyer told jurors the prosecution had sought to paint Ms Patterson as a cold and calculated killer who had spent months planning this crime, but he questioned what possible reason she would have to kill. He said Ms Patterson had no motive to want her husband or in-laws dead, arguing the evidence actually showed she had 18 years' of 'anti-motive' with strong and loving relationships with Simon's parents. 'There's no possible prospect that Erin wanted in those circumstances to destroy her whole world, her whole life. Surely it's more likely that her account is true,' he said. 'Don and Gail had never been anything but kind and understanding to Erin Patterson. There was absolutely no reason at all for her to hurt them in any way at all.' Mr Mandy argued the prosecution had made much of a short dispute Ms Patterson had with Simon in December 2022 to show there was tension in the family dynamics. But he said even Simon agreed the spat over their children's schooling and finances had simmered down by the end that month showed it was 'an entirely unremarkable minor blow-up'. The trial has drawn an extensive media presence. NewsWire/ David Crosling Credit: News Corp Australia Mr Mandy took the jury to a series of disparaging messages Ms Patterson sent about her in-laws to her online friends and to Don and Gail themselves in December, remarking this was her being honest about her feelings and standing up for herself. 'This was an aberration in her dealings with the Pattersons, and there is nothing to say otherwise,' he said. 'It stands out in this case because it's the only one.' The defence barrister reminded jurors of what Ms Patterson said about the reason for the lunch itself; that she'd been feeling 'isolated' from Don and Gail in recent months and was proactively trying to build bridges. He again questioned if it was more likely that she wanted to kill everyone or that she wanted to reconnect for the sake of her children. Moving on to the lunch and Ian Wilkinson's evidence that Ms Patterson ate from an orangey-tan dish while the other guests ate from large grey plates, Mr Mandy said Ian must have been mistaken. He pointed to footage taken by police at her home on August 5 which showed a small collection of plates – none of them grey or orangey-tan – and Simon's evidence that Ms Patterson did not have sets of matching plates. This, Mr Mandy said, was backed up by the evidence of Ms Patterson and the two children. 'The prosecution says, 'No, no, no, Ian's right and they're all wrong',' he said. 'Or, in Erin's case, not wrong or honestly mistaken. In Erin's case she's lying.' Erin Patterson has maintained she did not want to harm anyone. Supplied. Credit: Supplied Mr Mandy suggested that it wouldn't make sense to use a different coloured plate to identify the unpoisoned meal, when it would be far simpler to mark the pastry. Turning to Ms Patterson's illness and actions after the lunch, Mr Mandy said she had told jurors she binge ate an orange cake Gail brought and made herself sick. He suggested that because she had not claimed she vomited immediately after the lunch, or that she saw the meal in her vomit it was more likely to be the truth. The defence barrister pointed to Ms Patterson's account of adding dried mushrooms to the duxelles when preparing the dish, thinking it tasted bland. He suggested jurors might think she continued to taste the dish, after accidentally adding death caps, and this would be a 'sensible reason why Erin became unwell earlier' than the others. Mr Mandy told the jury the evidence was Ms Patterson was sick, just not as sick as Don, Gail, Heather and Ian. He said the expert evidence was people could experience a range of illness severity even after eating the same meal. On Ms Patterson's account of feeding the leftovers of the lunch to her children for dinner a day later, Mr Mandy said there was no expert evidence to back up the Crown's claim this cannot be true because they did not get sick. 'We submit to you that's another invitation to speculation; to make an assumption rather than acting on the evidence,' he said. Heather Wilkinson died, while her husband Ian survived. Supplied Credit: Supplied Mr Mandy told the jury there had been no evidence in the trial about what level of exposure to death cap toxins was required to affect the body or that vomiting a meal would leave a presence of the toxins. He pointed to evidence Ms Patterson had elevated haemoglobin and fibrinogen and low potassium; which intensive care professor Andrew Bersten said supported a diarrhoeal illness. 'Medical testing revealed three different factors,' he said. 'Three things that can't be faked.' Turning to her decision to leave hospital 5 minutes after arriving on July 31, Mr Mandy explained that his client was not prepared for what she walked into. 'In our submission to you when she left the hospital at 8.10am, there is only one reasonable explanation for why that happened, and that is she had arrived thinking she would be admitted to get some fluids for gastro,' he said. Mr Mandy and his junior counsel barrister Sophie Stafford. NewsWire/Ian Currie Credit: News Corp Australia Instead she was subjected to an 'extremely intense five-minute interaction' and struggled to understand what she was being told. Mr Mandy told the court his client returned after doing what she said she needed to do to prepare and was admitted. He said it was on August 1, while in hospital in Melbourne, when Ms Patterson began to panic that she would be blamed for the illnesses. Mr Mandy told the court his client was not proud of the lies she told and the decisions she made, such as taking the dehydrator to the tip, but Ms Patterson was 'not on trial for being a liar'. 'She starts panicking and she starts lying from that point,' he said. 'All of the things that she did after the lunch fall into that category and none of them … can actually change what her intention was at the time of the lunch. Either she had the intention or she didn't. 'You can't change the past because you behave badly in the future.' Members of the Patterson and Wilkinson families have been present every day for the trial. NewsWire / David Geraghty Credit: News Corp Australia In the days after the lunch, the jury was told, Ms Patterson told dozens of doctors, public health authorities and police she used button mushrooms from Woolworths and dried mushrooms she had purchased in April that year from an Asian grocer in Melbourne. On the stand, she maintained this was the case but said she now believed she may have added foraged wild mushrooms to the same Tupperware container. The barrister said photos of wild mushrooms found on a SD card supported Ms Patterson's account of developing an interest in foraging and eating mushrooms during the early Covid lockdowns in 2020. Mr Mandy said this interest also explains why computer records show she briefly looked up death cap mushroom sightings on the citizen science website iNaturalist in May 2022. 'It makes perfect sense that in the context of that dawning interest … that she would become aware of death cap mushrooms,' he said. 'And the question occurred to her because she was picking mushrooms in the wild, do they grow in South Gippsland?' Mr Mandy told the jury his client did not have to take the stand, but chose to place herself under 'such an incredible amount of scrutiny' from an experienced prosecutor. 'She came through that unscathed,' he argued. 'Her account remained coherent and consistent, day after day after day, even when challenged, rapid fire, from multiple angles, repeatedly.' Finishing his closing address, the barrister argued the prosecution can't get over the high bar of beyond reasonable doubt. 'If you think at the end of your deliberations … is a possibility that this was an accident, a reasonable possibility, you must find her not guilty,' he said. The trial continues.