Son of an Italian migrant worker and an Australian domestic worker, Moltoni was raised in Kalgoorlie and Norseman. His father, enrolled in the AIF, died on the Kokoda Trail in 1942, and three of Peter's poems reflect on this. He left school at the age of 14 to enter the work force to help support the family.
He wrote his first poem at the age of 18, but says that the 'publishing bug didn't bite until 1987 when irritation at a flame war engaged in by some local dignitaries through the Letters column of the local newspaper prompted his poetic contribution to the debate under the "Novabard" pseudonym' (Private correspondence). The Avon Valley Advocate accepted further poems under that name. He has also, as 'Spindleshanks', contributed to online poetry workshops. He has won several awards including the poetry section of Ballarat's The Courier Southern Cross Literary Competition in 1999.
