Craig Silvey fails to post bail as schools, publisher distance themselves from accused author

Acclaimed Australian author Craig Silvey likely spent the night behind bars after failing to post his $100,000 bail on Tuesday over child exploitation material accusations.

The Fremantle-based writer, 43, was arrested at his home on Monday after he was allegedly caught by detectives “actively engaging” with other child exploitation offenders online.

He’s accused of having conversations with paedophiles where he expressed a sexual interest in children and distributed child exploitation material.

During his first appearance in Fremantle Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday, prosecutors alleged the Jasper Jones author had refused to provide police with his passwords to access his phone, laptop and other electronic devices.

He was granted bail on $100,000 surety on the condition he live with his mother and report to police three times a week, however he did not post his surety after the court appearance, and was transported to prison a short time later.

If he is bailed at a later date, he will be banned from being unsupervised around children, including his own, and is forbidden from using the internet.

The charges have shocked the literary world, with Silvey’s publisher, Allen & Unwin, halting promotion of his books after the Department of Education pulled his novels from school curriculums.

“Allen & Unwin is aware of the serious charges brought against author Craig Silvey in Fremantle this week,” the publisher said in a statement.

“The nature of the allegations is deeply distressing. Our thoughts and sympathies are with all survivors of child exploitation and their families.

“We acknowledge this is an active police matter, and that Mr Silvey is entitled to procedural fairness and a presumption of innocence until the matter is dealt with by a court.

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“Given the gravity of the charges, Allen & Unwin will pause promotional activity of Mr Silvey’s work while the legal process takes its course.”

In the wake of the charges, WA Education Minister Sabine Winton ordered schools to pull the author’s books from their English courses.

“There are over 100 texts that students may study in years 11 and/or 12 literature,” she said.

“Jasper Jones and Rhubarb by Craig Silvey are two of these texts, with Jasper Jones also being one of 40 suggested texts that may be studied in years 11 and 12 ATAR and General English Courses.

“I have asked the Department of Education to ensure that schools cease using texts by Craig Silvey for the 2026 school year while the allegations are under investigation.”

Silvey has been writing for more than 20 years, with Jasper Jones selling nearly 1 million copies worldwide.

His 2022 novel Runt collected a number of awards and was adapted into a feature film in 2024.

In a statement to its authors, publisher Fremantle Press said Silvey’s arrest had come as a huge and devastating shock to the tight-knit WA writing community.

The City of Subiaco, which runs the Craig Silvey Award for Young Writers, said the author would have no affiliation with the awards this year.

“The city has no ongoing arrangement with Craig Silvey,” Mayor David McMullen said.

“Mr Silvey will have no affiliation with the 2026 Young Writers Award.”

Silvey is yet to enter a plea to one count of distributing child exploitation material and one count of possession of child exploitation material.

He is due back in court in March.

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