Born in East Fremantle, Western Australia in 1961, Peter Burke trained as a doctor and now specialises in travel medicine. During the years 1989-1996 while he worked as a general practitioner in the north-west of Australia, Burke wrote his first novel, The Drowning Dream, which was inspired by his interest with the people of that region. An earlier draft of the novel was shortlisted for the Vogel Literary Award in 1996.