John Brendan Larkin (born 20 April 1963)[1] is an Australian writer.

The Shadow Girl won the 2012 Victorian Premier's Award for young adult fiction.

His mother, Pat, was also from Maltby and his father Brendan is originally from Ireland.

The family emigrated to Australia in the late 1960s landing in Sydney on Christmas Eve 1969.

Larkin has a daughter named Chantelle, who is currently a doctor working at Westmead Hospital.