Recreation

Derek Hansen

Cover of Lunch with mussoliniDerek Hansen is an Anglo-Australian-New Zealand author with a dozen titles to his name. Known best for the Lunch series which includes; Lunch with the generals, Lunch with Mussolini, Lunch with the Stationmaster and Lunch with a soldier, these novels hang on a cast of four middle-aged men Ramon, Lucio, Milos and the slightly more prosaically named Neil. They meet every Thursday in Gancios restaurant in Sydney and tell the stories of their lives.

Hansen, who went to Mt Albert Grammar, had his first career in advertising. After selling his Sydney based ad agency he tried his hand at writing, spurred on he claims by envy at his mate Bryce Courtenay's success.

Hansen’s novels are fast paced page turners, often with a historical theme. Remember me: a novel is set in 1950s Auckland and Hansen vividly recreates the flavour and atmosphere of yesteryear New Zealand.