Matthew Reilly: Feature Interview Leader: Matthew Reilly Alex Malley talks with best-selling Australian author Matthew Reilly about what it takes to make it in the literary world. When Matthew was just 19 he took the bold step of self-publishing his first action thriller novel, Contest, after having it rejected by all the major publishing houses. Despite the knock backs he never stopped believing in himself. Contest was eventually picked up by publishing house Pan Macmillan and he has since sold over 4 million copies of his books worldwide. Despite extreme professional success, Matthew has endured great loss suddenly losing his wife and childhood sweetheart to a long battle with anorexia and depression in late 2011. Matthew retreated into a private space to deal with the grief. He has only recently emerged and returned to the world of writing, publishing his latest book, and the first since his wife's passing, The Tournament.