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Tom Spurling
Tom Spurling is an Australian freelance writer and occasional English teacher. He has lived for lengthy periods in Japan, Turkey, Portugal, England and the USA.
In 2007, he served as the writer-in-residence at the Amazwi Media Arts School on the edge of Kruger National Park, South Africa. His role also involved instructing Shangaan and Sotho women in how to write and publish stories from their communities.
Tom has travelled extensively for the past twelve years. Lasting memories include the restricted military zones of Guam, the bars of Nicaragua, the airport at Nauru, and the countryside of pre-chaos Zimbabwe. Forgettable memories include a murder rap in Mexico, opium poisoning in Casablanca and being stabbed by a mute transvestite in Istanbul.
His maiden Lonely Planet gig was to the northwest Indian states of Rajasthan and Gujarat where he found a desert under water and the ultimate sentient diet. He recommends a tuk-tuk tour of Shekhawati and sitting cross-legged in the remote salt plains of Kuutch.
His recent story on Cape Town appears in a 'Travels with LP' column in syndicated US newspapers in September 2007.
Tom is a regular contributor to cyberspace, where his work is most often found on Pine Magazine and Inc Writing. He also works as a live scorer for Sportal (to justify watching so much sport), and practises Tantric meditation and yoga.
He is the co-editor of 'View From Station Peak: Writings on Geelong' (published November 2007), and plans to repeat the project in other Australian regional centres.
When not wandering aimlessly, Tom lives in a beachside apartment in Port Melbourne with his wife-to-be, Lucy, and mostly her furniture.
