March 31, 2026
Former South Burnett resident Brenton Cullen has gone from selling books in the Kingaroy Mall to publishing his first novel for children and young adults.
“The Prime Minister Problem” – a heart-warming story about a boy’s mission to help his grandmother – will be released on April 28 by Riveted Press.
Brenton told southburnett.com.au he moved with his parents to Kingaroy in 2005.
He attended Kingaroy State School and Kingaroy State High School and was heavily involved with Nanango Theatre Company and the South Burnett Musical Comedy Society before leaving to go to university.
“I was performing, acting, script writing and directing my own play when I was 16,” Brenton said.
He also wrote entertainment reviews for the South Burnett Times, and worked for five years in the Collins Booksellers shop in the mall.
Brenton was nominated for a South Burnett Junior Cultural Award at the 2014 South Burnett Australia Day awards.
“My mum Jackie Cullen and my siblings still live in Kingaroy, so I visit regularly still and it still feels like home,” he said.
“The Prime Minister Problem” is set in a regional town three hours from Brisbane.
“Kingaroy did serve as an inspiration (but) it is not actually based in Kingaroy, but the small town feel, my experiences growing up, and the community feeling definitely inspired the writing of the story for me,” Brenton said.
The book explores themes of loneliness and community connection, telling the tale of a young boy, Wren, who hides in the library at school with the books his grandmother taught him to love.
But then grandma has a stroke and is forced to move away to a nursing home in the city.
Lonely, Wren writes to the Prime Minister for help. When no reply comes, his small act of hope takes on a life of its own and the town rallies around him.
“I have been writing and submitting stories to publishers since I was nine and living in Kingaroy,” Brenton said.
“Now I am 29 and this book is my debut novel, but I have another four books coming out with different publishers.
“I have a picture book for young children releasing in October, a mystery adventure novel next May and then two more coming soon after that.”
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Go Brenton! Congratulations on your wonderful achievement and best of luck in your writing career.