A&U acquires Jeff Apter’s “Reckless”

Allen & Unwin (A&U) has acquired world rights to the nonfiction title Reckless by music writer Jeff Apter.

Reckless is the inside story of Australian Crawl, the band behind tracks including “Beautiful People”, “Boys Light Up”, “Downhearted”, “Errol” and the number 1 “Reckless”.

“Bursting onto Countdown in 1979, the band went on to create 2 of the country’s bestselling albums and launched the career of heart-throb frontman James Reyne,” said A&U in a statement.

“While the public saw a group of surfies conquering stages and airwaves, behind the scenes the pressures of relentless touring, creative disputes and money troubles steadily frayed their once tight-knit bonds. The tragic death of guitarist Guy McDonough in 1984 left a wound the band would never fully recover from, even as their songs continued to define an era.”

Apter is the author of over 30 books, including biographies of the Finn brothers, musician Keith Urban and cricketer Michael Slater. He is the music contributor for Vogue, and also was the former music editor at Australian Rolling Stone.

“Little did I realise that when I first saw Australian Crawl in August 1979 that almost 50 years later I’d be writing their biography,” Apter said. “Looking back on their wild ride with various members of the band’s classic line-up was a real thrill — and an honour.”

A&U commissioning editor Tom Bailey-Smith said Australian Crawl’s story “has never been fully told”. Bailey-Smith said, “Jeff has done an exceptional job uncovering their story and their incredible highs and lows in a book that will be devoured by their fans, or anyone in love with the 1980s.”

A&U plans to publish Reckless in August 2026.

Category: Local news Rights and acquisitions