Steve Hawke grew up in Melbourne, but found his way to the Northern Territory and then to the Kimberley as a 19-year-old in 1978. Captivated by the country, the history and the people, he stayed for almost 15 years working for Aboriginal communities and organisations. His writings on the Kimberley include Noonkanbah- Whose Land, Whose Law (1989), the children's novel Barefoot Kids (2007), and A Town is Born- The Fitzroy Crossing Story(2013). The Valley is his first novel for adults.