Mr Blank

A fascinating voyage into 20th century Sydney where culture and criminality mingled seamlessly

While visiting his ailing father in Sydney, Dean Manning discovers an old suitcase chucked out for a council clean-up. Curiosity gets the better of him and he opens it. Inside are hundreds of photographs, newspaper clippings and letters, all addressed to Mr Blank.

And so the process of discovery begins: Who is Mr Blank? A maverick entrepreneur with the Midas touch, a convicted criminal with impeccable tastes, a publican and theatre impresario, a gap-toothed lover of beautiful women from all over the world. Mr Blank flew above the law and mainly below the radar of twentieth century Australia. And not everyone wants his past, or their part in it, to be revealed.

About the author

Dean Manning is an award-winning musician and visual artist. After completing a Bachelor of Visual Arts degree with honours at Newcastle University he joined Mojo Advertising as a copywriter. He left to form his first pop group Leonardo’s Bride, achieving critical acclaim and commercial success. Mushroom Music Publishing administer his catalogue of over a hundred songs including the APRA Song of the Year Even When I’m Sleeping. Manning regularly exhibits his paintings and Super 8 films and has been a finalist in the Archibald, Sulman and Moran Portrait prizes.

Dean Manning
Published February 2025
Paperback
320 pages
210mm x 148mm
ISBN 9781923099333