R.W.R. McDonald (Rob) is an award winning author. His debut novel, The Nancys won Best First Novel in the 2020 Ngaio Marsh Awards, as well as being a finalist in the Best Novel category.  It was shortlisted for Best First Novel in the 2020 Ned Kelly Awards, and Highly Commended for an Unpublished Manuscript in the 2017 Victorian Premier’s Literary Awards. Nancys Business, the sequel to The Nancys, was a finalist in the Best Novel category in the 2022 Ngaio Marsh Awards.

Rob McDonald and Katherine Kovacic met during the 2016 Writing a Novel course in Melbourne.