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Felice Arena moved from entertaining audiences as an actor to making up stories to enthuse school children.
The oldest of four children in a lively Italian family, he felt he “had to perform” from an early age. He continued with minor theatricals while studying at La Trobe University Bendigo, and after some primary teaching went briefly to the US, thinking of acting. He returned to a Neighbours audition which won him the year-long role of ‘Marco Alessi’ in the long-running soap, back in 1992.
Felice took that experience to Britain in 1993, working on West End musicals and in touring companies for six years. This included a revival of Hair at the Old Vic, playing Jesus in Godspell and co-staring alongside Fame’s Irene Cara in What A Feeling at the Palladium. In between shows he presented children’s TV.
Nostalgia struck. He realised that his drive to entertain — especially to entrance young audiences — might extend to writing. On trains, in London digs and in provincial hotels, he penned Mission Buffalo and Dolphin Boy Blue, adventure novels for the 9-13 market, set in rural Australia. He took them to the same literary agent who had just accepted J.K Rowling’s first Harry Potter text. Felice was offered a two-book deal with HarperCollins UK.
Two novels became four, and on his return to Australia in the late 90s he had a serendipitous meeting with an old schoolmate from Kyabram in north-eastern Victoria, Garry Lyon, at the launch of Lyon’s biography. Garry was a champion footballer who had carried his high profile into the media.
Felice confided his dream of reaching children through the enormous across-the-community appeal of Australian Rules football. He had his hero in mind, Specky. Specky and his mates from Booyong High School in suburban Melbourne would play out their adventures against a football theme. Garry thought it was a good idea and they agreed on a partnership where both plotted the adventures, Garry added football insights, and Felice wrote on.
Close to half a million copies of six Specky titles later, Felice has a public profile of his own, not just among youthful readers who welcomed the latest adventure (‘Specky Magee and the Spirit of the Game”) in 2007, but with grateful parents and teachers who find Specky teases many reluctant students into a closer acquaintance with books.
Specky has won, or been short listed for, many children’s book awards, including a YABBA (Young Australian Best Book Award) for ‘Specky Magee and the Boots of Glory’ as the most popular book in the older reader’s section.
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