Leigh Sales

Leigh Sales

Sales hosting a Global Town Hall with Hillary Rodham Clinton (January 2013)
Born Leigh Peta Sales
10 May 1973
Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
Residence Glebe,[1] Sydney
Nationality Australian
Education Aspley State High School
Alma mater Queensland University of Technology
Deakin University
Occupation Television presenter
Employer Australian Broadcasting Corporation
Television 7.30
Spouse(s) Phil Willis
Children Daniel & James

Leigh Peta Sales (born 10 May 1973) is an Australian author and journalist. She is the host of the Australian television channel ABC's flagship news and current affairs program 7.30.[1]

Career

Sales was born in Brisbane. She was a journalist with the Nine Network there before joining the ABC and is a graduate of Deakin University (Master of International Relations) and Queensland University of Technology (Bachelor of Journalism).[2]

Sales has held positions in national radio current affairs and was NSW political reporter (covering the 1999 and 2007 state elections and the 2000 Summer Olympics).

Sales presented Lateline on Monday, Thursday and Friday nights (with Tony Jones in the role on Tuesdays and Wednesdays). She has been the ABC's National Security Correspondent from 2006 until 2008 and was based in Sydney. Sales was the network's Washington correspondent from 2001 to 2005, covering stories including the Iraq War, the 2004 presidential election, Guantanamo Bay and Hurricane Katrina[3]

In 2011, Sales was appointed presenter of the ABC's flagship news and current affairs program, 7.30.[1]

In January 2013, Sales hosted the 70 minute Townterview—a mix of a town hall and a television interview—with Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton at the Newseum in Washington, DC. It is significant for being the final such program for Clinton as Secretary of State.[4]

Publishing career

Her first book, Detainee 002: The Case of David Hicks, was published in 2007 by Melbourne University Publishing (MUP).[5] The book covers Hicks' case as well as a detailed explanation of the Bush administration's detainee policy in the War on Terror[6] and the Australian government's cooperation. Her essay, "On Doubt", was published in 2009 as part of MUP's series Little Books on Big Themes which has featured Germaine Greer, David Malouf, Blanche d'Alpuget and Barrie Kosky. She has written for The Monthly and her work has occasionally appeared in The Australian, The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age, and before their demise, The Diplomat and The Bulletin.

Sales writes a fortnightly blog called Well-readhead, mostly about books and reading. It includes a list of ten interesting things to read, watch or listen to. It appears on both the ABC's The Drum website and News Limited's The Punch.

Personal life

Sales is married to Phil Willis and they have two children.

Awards and recognition

Published works

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 "Anchor woman" by Helen Pitt, Daily Life, Fairfax Media, 14 February 2012.
  2. ↑ "The Sales Report", The Sydney Morning Herald (16 December 2012)
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 "7.30 About Us", Australian Broadcasting Corporation (21 February 2013)
  4. ↑ "Australian moderates Clinton's farewell talkfest", The Sydney Morning Herald (30 January 2013)
  5. ↑ "Detainee 002: the case of David Hicks". Smh.com.au. 2007-05-18. Retrieved 12 February 2014.
  6. ↑ Detainee 002: The Case of David Hicks. Books.google.com.au. Retrieved 12 February 2014.
  7. ↑ "ABC Journalist wins George Munster Journalism Award", Australian Broadcasting Corporation (13 September 2009)
  8. ↑ "Leigh Sales wins Walkley for best interview", Australian Broadcasting Corporation (1 December 2012)

External links

Media offices
Preceded by
Virginia Trioli		 Lateline
Presenter (Monday, Tuesday & Friday)
2008–2010 		Succeeded by
Ali Moore
Preceded by
Kerry O'Brien as The 7.30 Report		 7.30
Presenter
2011–present 		Succeeded by
Incumbent