He signed a two-book deal with Penguin Books in 2019, releasing his book The Bluffs in July this year.

Mr Perry's crime fiction thriller has now been shortlisted for Dymocks book of the year, which he described as being "surreal".

In other news:

"I got the email while I was in the middle of a coffee meeting for work and I started shaking," he said.

"I had to excuse myself and go and call my publicist to double check and make sure it was really happening, to get some context as to how big a deal it was.

"When it happens to you, you think maybe there's multiple books and start downplaying it immediately. But I called her, my publisher and the local book rep and every single one said this was insane."

Mr Perry is nominated alongside authors Trent Dalton, Craig Silvey, Julia Baird, Pip Williams and Eddie Jaku.

"I think I'm the only debut novel on there, and there's some incredible names alongside me on that list," he said.

"It's very humbling, and it doesn't feel right in a way, it hasn't sunk in yet.

"I grew up in Ridgley, I wrote the book based on the area I know and stories I've been told that have happened to friends and clients, and this is just beyond words.

Mr Perry's novel has now been translated into five different languages, and he has recently signed another two-book deal with Penguin.

"Half the time it doesn't feel real, it's slowly sinking in," he said.

"The amount of doors his has opened for me, it's changed my life."

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