DAVID ASTLE

As Mr Dictionary on SBS, and DA in the world of crosswords, David Astle is a full-time word nerd. Even growing up, he mixed and mangled every name he found. But thankfully in his 20s he found puzzles as way to siphon off the mania.

Under the guise of DA, David also composes such diverse puzzles as Wordwit, Omega and Metrohead for Fairfax, Rubicon for Australian Style, as well as writing the weekly column Wordplay for Saturday Spectrum.

To meet a 2-D version of David, you can catch his wordiness under pressure on the SBS game-show, Letters and Numbers, every weeknight at six. Or choose to catch the bug in person via this domain.

Or to wander the DA mindscape, grab his latest book, Puzzled: Secrets and Clues of A Life Lost in Words. A blend of memoir, game history and crossword manual, Puzzled is shaped around a central set of clues, where each chapter unveils a fresh answer, as well as exploring more puzzling stories through the ages.

To read more, click the PUBLISHED option. On the same page you’ll also discover a sample of columns and feature stories that David has written, from playground rhymes to senior bikies.

In fact, aside from twisting words into anagrams and grids, David also tweaks them into narratives. A short-story fan, a freelance scribe, a book reviewer on Radio National, David likes to keep the words flowing. He’s published two novels (Marzipan Plan and The Book of Miles) as well as three non-fiction titles. The first is a true-crime thriller, One Down One Missing, followed by the sprawling trivia-travel guide to Australia known as Offbeat.

To glean a bit more, or play a few word games, mouse around the domain. You’ll find such distractions as the weekly Birdbrain puzzles on the DABLOG, or a chance to revel in the many creative challenges such as Brainstorm and clue workshops, also on the blog, and elsewhere on the site.

If you wish to contact David directly, hit the EMAIL option on the left, and he’ll do his level best to get back to you. (Though please bear in mind – as the Email page explains – he can’t assess and on-sell your own crossword stabs, as that’s the gig of editors.) Otherwise enjoy your visit and play a few games. Maybe bump into a few new words and feel free to add to the hubbub.