John Silvester has been a crime reporter in Melbourne since 1978.
He has co-authored many crime books with Andrew Rule, including the Underbelly series, Leadbelly and Tough: 101 Australian Gangsters. In 2008 he was the Graham Perkin Journalist of the Year and Victorian Law Foundation Journalist of the Year.
In 2009 he and Rule co-hosted the compelling and slightly disturbing ABC documentary Dead Famous.
He is currently senior crime reporter for The Age and is an excellent driver. He is described as a spooky eccentric by people who do not know him.
Andrew Rule is a Walkley award-winning reporter who has worked in newspapers, television and radio since 1975. He wrote Cuckoo, the inside story of the ‘Mr Stinky’ case and has co-written, edited and published too many crime books, including the Underbelly series.
Twice Australian journalist of the year, he is a senior writer and deputy editor for The Age and a failed racehorse owner.
The authors’ work has been adapted into the top-rating Underbelly television series.