About John Shand

John Shand is a playwright, librettist, author, journalist, drummer and critic. He has written about music (and occasionally theatre) for The Sydney Morning Herald since 1993. His books include Don’t Shoot the Best Boy! – The Film Crew at Work (Currency), Jazz – The Australian Accent (UNSW Press) and The Phantom of the Soap Opera (Wizard). In 2017 he won the Arts Journalism Award at the Walkleys, the nation’s pre-eminent awards for journalism. He lives in Katoomba (NSW) with one who is called The Mouse. He enjoys wine, and wishes he could say in moderation.