John Macgregor

John Macgregor worked in federal politics, won national awards for literature & investigative journalism, manages aid projects in Cambodia, & wrote the story development for the movie 'Shine'. From Washington, Rangoon & occupied East Timor, he has reported on science, politics, corruption & modern slavery, for such outlets as New Scientist, The Sydney Morning Herald & The New York Times. He completed 'The Mechanics of Changing the World' in 2024.

In 1986, Macgregor's novel, Propinquity, won the manuscript section of the Adelaide Festival's Biennial Award for Literature.

After Propinquity, John Macgregor wrote the treatments for the Australian movie 'Shine', which was nominated for seven Oscars.

In 1989 he worked as a political advisor to Senator Janine Haines, federal leader of the Australian Democrats.

In 1993, Macgregor reported for The Australian on military intimidation of the East Timorese population, and was deported by the Indonesian military.

Through the 1980s and 1990s he interviewed Australian Prime Ministers Hawke, Keating & Howard in syndicated profiles with The Age, The Sydney Morning Herald and other papers.

In 2001 he wrote a series in The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald on the framing of former Florida politician Joe Gersten by the FBI and Australia's Federal Police. The stories won him the 2002 George Munster Award, Australia's prize for investigative journalism.

In 2005, he reported from Burma on slave labour under the generals, for The New York Times.

Macgregor wrote for the BBC World Service Trust in Thailand and Cambodia, and taught as a volunteer at a school for Phnom Penh's garbage dump children.

He now splits his time between his home in Charters Towers, on the edge of the Australian Outback, and Cambodia, where he helps to design poverty reduction & permaculture projects with the Cambodian-run NGO, Disadvantaged Cambodians Organisation.

Macgregor spent the years 2015 to 2023 writing 'The Mechanics of Changing the World'.

Substack: https://johnmacgregor.substack. com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin. com/in/john-macgregor-democracy-redesign/

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