Derek Rielly

Derek Rielly is an editor, writer, magazine and book publisher, columnist, biographer, entrepreneur and PR agent. He has launched three magazines, including Stab (in 2003), the four-language France-based title Surf Europe and internet sensation BeachGrit.com, acted as a trouble-shooting editor on Australia’s biggest men’s title, advertising campaigns and consulted on others. His writing has appeared in The Australian, The Sydney Morning Herald, Wish magazine and many others. His photography (yes, he shoots too) has appeared in The Good Weekend and in advertising campaigns. 

Derek's books include Wednesdays With Bob (Pan Macmillan, 2017) a best-selling biography of the popular former Prime Minister Bob Hawke that was rated the number one political biography in the Financial Review, Gulpilil (Pan Macmillan, 2023) a portrait of the late iconic indigenous actor, dancer and artist, David Gulpilil Ridjimiraril Dalaithngu and Fridays with Blanche (Allen & Unwin, 2025), a biography of Blanche d'Alpuget and described by the Sydney Morning Herald's Jacqueline Maley as having "more sex in it than any book I have read in a long time, so much so that I felt like a prude as I read some parts."

The Australian newspaper describes Derek as “good-looking, astute and charming.”