Bryan Brown welcomed a sell-out crowd at the venue named in his honour last Friday, as he returned to Bankstown to talk about his novel, The Drowning, as part of the Sydney Writers Festival.

The Bryan Brown Theatre was full of eager fans as they gathered to hear the Aussie actor, author and self-described ‘Westie’ discuss his novel ideas with Author of Tipping Point, Dinuka McKenzie.

Mr Brown shared stories of growing up in housing commission at Panania with his single mother and sister and spoke about his time at De La Salle High School in Kingsgrove.

Brown said his upbringing really moulded the way he persevered to find his place in the industry.

“When we were growing up, we didn’t get everything. I learnt to deal with rejection and not getting what I wanted straight away, so I kept trying,” he said.

“That first person says no, the second says no and so on until you finally get a yes.”

Brown spoke of his career spanning screen, stage and now page, and shared the moment he knew acting was for him.

“I was an actuary, and in those days, companies tried to make sure you stayed in one place for a long time,” Brown said.

“There were clubs to join and one of the clubs was a drama club and you could perform in the end of year review. I loved every minute of it!

Brown’s novel The Drowning sees a sleepy northern NSW coastal town turned upside down when the body of a local teenage boy is found on the beach. Drugs, lies and liaisons are set against the backdrop of the idyllic north coast in this gripping page turner.

“As an actor, I am always involved in storytelling. I’m reading scripts, writing screenplays and I’m always thinking about how stories can evolve into something.”

When asked how he was able to gain such insight into aspects of the plot, Brown explained that he moulded the storyline into something personal after speaking with a guy whose son had died recently.

“They had a funeral for him and that allowed for connections and stories related to Indigenous Funeral services.”

After the talk, Brown and Ms McKenzie stayed to sign books and chat with audience members.

You can find physical and electronic copies of Bryan Brown and Dinuka McKenzie’s books via the Library Catalogue. Visit cb.city/LibraryCatalogue or call your local Library and Knowledge Centre.