Daniel Linaker

Author & Creator

Daniel Linaker is an award-winning independent children’s author, creator of Coen the Unicorn, and full-time Field Service Technician with Ezi Security in Sydney, Australia. Originally from Manchester, UK, Daniel moved to Australia in 2017 to build a new life and career.

His path into children’s publishing was anything but conventional. While recovering from a serious knee injury and unable to work, Daniel finally acted on something he had often said he would do one day: write a book. His inspiration was Coen, a young boy in his life with autism and ADHD whose energy, personality and unique way of seeing the world inspired the character Coen the Unicorn.

What started as one independently published book has grown into an expanding series exploring neurodiversity, courage, kindness, bullying, patience, friendship and self-belief. In 2025, Coen the Unicorn: Just The Way You Are received Bronze in the ABLE Book Awards People’s Choice Award.
Daniel continues to balance two very different worlds. Monday to Friday, he puts on his high-vis and works as a Field Service Technician for Ezi Security, maintaining and repairing industrial gates, security systems and high-security infrastructure across New South Wales. Outside those hours, the high-vis comes off, and the author takes over, writing stories, developing ideas and building the Coen the Unicorn brand.

His ambition is to take Coen beyond the bookshelf and develop it into a globally recognised children’s brand spanning books, education, animation and merchandise.

Daniel’s journey shows that creativity doesn’t have to come from a traditional background or career path. His mission is to help children embrace what makes them different through one simple message: “Be Unique, Be You.”