When Bryan Brown spent his childhood adventuring around Panania, he never imagined that he would be writing novels.

The Aussie actor, author and self-described ‘Westie’ will return to Bankstown to talk about his novel, The Drowning at the very venue named in his honour, the Bryan Brown Theatre.

Mr Brown said growing up in Panania played a great part in shaping his life and letting loose his sense of adventure.

“I used to catch the bus to Bankstown pool to learn to swim and to the Bankstown Cinema to catch a film or two,” he said.

“I would never have imagined that, as a kid having adventures around here, I would one day write a book, let alone two.”

His novel The Drowning sees a sleepy northern NSW coastal town turned upside down when the body of a local teenage boy is found on the beach. Drugs, lies and liaisons are set against the backdrop of the idyllic north coast in this gripping page turner.

“I’m looking forward to sharing my new book with the community I grew up in, and I hope to inspire others to have a go – you’ve got nothing to lose,” Mr Brown said.

Canterbury-Bankstown Mayor Bilal El-Hayek encouraged the community to come along and meet one of our City’s greats and hear his story.

“He is an inspiration to all in our City and is an example of what you can achieve if you ‘have a go’,” Mayor El-Hayek said.

“I’ll be looking forward to reading his latest instalment!”

Mr Brown’s debut book Sweet Jimmy, a collection of short stories, was a huge success and he even donated a copy to the Milperra Little Library.

The ‘Sydney Writers Festival – An Evening with Bryan Brown’ will be held on Friday 24 May from 6-8pm at the Bryan Brown Theatre.

Tickets are now available for the low cost of $5. For more information and to register, visit cb.city/BryanBrownSWF