Born and raised in Kingaroy, Queensland, Hugh O’Brien began his working life on a dairy farm outside Wondai. He later worked as an announcer, rugby league football commentator and news editor at Radio Station 4SB Kingaroy before becoming a copywriter at Australia’s then largest advertising agency George Patterson in Sydney. He left advertising to pursue film writing and wrote the screenplay for the psychological thriller The Pact starring Sigrid Thornton and co-wrote the screenplay for the action thriller Endurance Island starring Paul Mercurio. Hugh was the inaugural winner of the Miles Regional Arts Council’s National Dogwood Playwrights Initiative in 2004 with his comedy play The World Bra Unclipping Championships at Garimba. His comedy Love Or Nearest Offer about a used car salesman inheriting a dating agency won the 2005 Noosa Arts Theatre National One Act Playwriting Competition. Hugh, who has two adult children, lives with his wife of thirty years Glenda in Brisbane. He works as a speechwriter in the Queensland Premier’s Department.