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King of the Cross John Ibrahim set for more gangster tales

IT would take a brave literary critic to savage the writing of Kings Cross identity John Ibrahim, so perhaps it should come as no surprise his book The Last King Of The Cross has been long-listed for the 2018 Ned Kelly Awards.

IT would take a brave literary critic to savage the writing of Kings Cross identity John Ibrahim.

So perhaps it should come as no surprise his book The Last King Of The Cross has been long-listed for the 2018 Ned Kelly Awards.

The former nightclub owner said he was as surprised as anyone that he could become an award-winning author when contacted by The Daily Telegraph.

Read all about it... John Ibrahim bookcover.
Read all about it... John Ibrahim bookcover.

“I’m under no illusion that it is a literature masterpiece,’’ Ibrahim said yesterday. “If it means there is a new generation of people reading books because of it, I’m pleased with that.’’

The book took the 50-year-old more than two years and he sacked two editors along the way for trying to flower up his words. Despite suffering from mild dyslexia, he demanded the book stick to much of his style and language.

Ibrahim said the nomination, thought to have come from publisher Pan Macmillan and claimed sales of more than 85,000 are reward for “hard work’’. It’s understood he is already in negotiations to write a second book.

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His long-listing took many crime ­authors by surprise, though none were prepared to publicly criticise the Australian Crime Writers ­Association who run the Ned Kelly Awards.

“I’m under no illusion that it is a literature masterpiece,’’ Ibrahim says.
“I’m under no illusion that it is a literature masterpiece,’’ Ibrahim says.

Former top crown prosecutor and three-time award nominee Mark Tedeschi QC said “the Neddies” are “very well known” and well respected.

Past winners include prominent authors such as Peter Doyle, Garry Disher and Helen Garner, who won the best true crime section with her book This House of Grief.

Former Ned Kelly winner ­Andrew Rule, a crime writer on Melbourne’s Herald Sun, said Ibrahim’s book “won’t be the worst” ever in contention for a crime writing prize.

“There’ll be worse ones. But Peter Temple (a five-time Ned Kelly winner) will be possibly rolling in his grave,” Rule said.

Ibrahim with close friend Kyle Sandiland in the Cross. Picture: John Grainger
Ibrahim with close friend Kyle Sandiland in the Cross. Picture: John Grainger

An Australian Crime Writers Association spokeswoman said there had been “no reaction” to Ibrahim’s long-listing for the awards this week.

“Our judging panels are made up of a variety of booksellers, readers, critics, reviewers, commentators and subject matter experts,’’ she said.

Ibrahim and Pan Macmillan refused to go into any detail about his new book but the Telegraph understands it will go into more detail of his early life, which many readers thought was missing in the first.

It’s also expected to centre on the arrest of brothers Michael and Fadi in Dubai over allegations ­Michael was involved in a multimillion-dollar drug importation.

Fadi faces charges of providing money to finance illegal tobacco importation. There’s no suggestion that John was involved.

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Original URL: https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/nsw/king-of-the-cross-john-ibrahim-set-for-more-gangster-tales/news-story/16d6ab8056be6661191a3bbd7937c265