FOOD. WINE. CRIME.

Rhys Gard is a writer, bookseller and former literary festival director based in Mudgee, NSW.

He holds a BA in English and Film Studies from UNSW and has worked across hospitality, wine writing, marketing and bookselling.

Rhys directed the Mudgee Readers’ Festival from 2023 to 2025, helping to revive the event after the COVID hiatus and growing its author program, partnerships and community reach. He continues to support the festival as a volunteer.

He works as an independent bookseller at The Book Nest, where he manages book buying, runs a monthly novella book club, and enjoys connecting readers with books they didn’t yet know they were looking for.

Rhys is the author of Four Dogs Missing, and is working on another two crime novels. He is also developing a narrative non-fiction project exploring Mudgee’s wine culture.

When not writing or bookselling, he enjoys travelling, finding the best indie bookshops and wine bars, and supporting literary communities wherever he goes.