Michael Willesee Michael Willesee i(A123643 works by) (a.k.a. Mike Willesee)
Born: Established: 1942 Perth, Western Australia, ;
Gender: Male
The material on this page is available to AustLit subscribers. If you are a subscriber or are from a subscribing organisation, please log in to gain full access. To explore options for subscribing to this unique teaching, research, and publishing resource for Australian culture and storytelling, please contact us or find out more.

Works By

Preview all
1 y separately published work icon A Sceptic's Search for Meaning Michael Willesee , Sydney : Pan Macmillan Australia , 2019 19856935 2019 single work autobiography 'Is there life after death?
Does God exist?
How do you explain miracles?


'In a career spanning fifty years and thousands of stories, legendary Australian journalist Mike Willesee dared to pose the big questions as part of his ongoing quest for meaning.

'Born into the Catholic faith, with early ambitions to be a priest, he tried to escape his spiritual destiny by pursuing a path as an investigative journalist. But fate kept catching up, as A Sceptic's Search for Meaning reveals.

'He had a premonition his plane was going to crash, moments before it did.

'He found himself the neighbour of one of Australia's most passionate investigators of mystical phenomena, who convinced Mike to join him on his quest.

'Among many such adventures, Mike flew to Bolivia to interview Katya Rivas, dubbed 'God's secretary'. He watched as the barely literate woman who claimed never to have read the Bible wrote page after page of perfect theology in multiple languages. He also sat by her bed as blood started to ooze from her brow, her hands and her feet - the telltale signs of stigmata.

'Written in his final year as Mike fought a losing battle with cancer, A Sceptic's Search for Meaning is a moving and intriguing tale of one man's attempt to make sense of the profound mysteries of faith.' (Publication summary)
1 2 y separately published work icon Memoirs Michael Willesee , Sydney : Pan Macmillan Australia , 2017 12259319 2017 single work autobiography

'Mike Willesee has been Australia's most revered television journalist for over fifty years. And behind the lens, a businessman, powerbroker, trailblazer and enduring enigma.

'Son of a minister in the Whitlam cabinet, Willesee was a football star before finding fame as a crusading journalist, and Vietnam War correspondent, for This Day Tonight and Four Corners. Later, as creator of A Current Affair, his interviews became news in themselves, attracting blockbuster ratings, wielding huge political power and transforming him into an icon.

'In life, Willesee was a husband and father of six. He made a fortune in radio and television then lost it saving the Sydney Swans and battling his demons.

'After a live on-air interview with gunmen secured the release of two children being held hostage, Willesee left ACA. He made acclaimed documentaries on subjects as diverse as stigmata and ancient tribes. He survived a plane crash, found God and fought cancer. But he never stopped seeking truth.

'Memoirs is that truth - the extraordinary story of Mike Willesee's epic life. ' (Publication Summary)

X