LUKE CEKO
Author | Educator | Counsellor | Speaker
Working with people through complexity, change and the conversations that shape what comes next.
ABOUT LUKE
Luke Ceko is an Australian author, educator, counsellor and community practitioner based on the Gold Coast.
For more than fifteen years, his work has taken him across education, counselling, youth support, multicultural and refugee communities, residential care and some unusually complex environments.
From six years working on Nauru to supporting young people and families in Australia, Luke’s work has consistently centered on communication, human behaviour, resilience and what happens when people find themselves experiencing life's challenges.
Today, these experiences come together through his writing, speaking and one-to-one conversations.
WRITING
Luke’s first published nonfiction book, 68 Swings on Nauru, grew from six years of fly-in fly-out work on Nauru.
Blending memoir, humour, observation and practical reflection, the book explores work, identity, relationships, resilience and life inside an environment few Australians experience firsthand.
In 2026, Luke received the 10-10-10 Program’s “A Memoir of Service, Resilience and Humanity Award” for the book.
CURRENT PROJECT
Family, Property and the Cost of Trust
Luke is currently developing a new work of literary nonfiction exploring family trust, informal financial arrangements, unspoken assumptions, conflict and the consequences of conversations that never happened when they mattered most.
Drawing partly on his own experience of a family property dispute heard in the Supreme Court of South Australia, the work examines the space between what people believe has been understood and what has actually been said.
SPEAKING & CONVERSATIONS
Available for author talks, interviews and speaking engagements
Luke is available for conversations, interviews and speaking engagements related to writing, resilience, communication, family dynamics, education, life in complex environments and the experiences behind his books.
His background across education, counselling and community work brings a practical human perspective to subjects that are often difficult to discuss.
SPEAKING & EVENTS
Luke is available for speaking engagements, interviews, author conversations and selected MC engagements.
His professional and personal experience spans education, counselling, multicultural communities, youth work, resilience, communication, family dynamics and six years living and working on Nauru.
His speaking style is conversational, direct and grounded in lived experience.
TALK TO LUKE
One-to-One Conversations
Sometimes you do not need another course, another checklist or someone telling you what you “should” do.
You need a thoughtful conversation with someone who can listen, ask the right questions and look at a situation from a different angle.
Luke brings more than fifteen years of experience across counselling, education, youth work and community services into focused one-to-one conversations about relationships, family situations, communication, major decisions, personal direction and periods of change.
These sessions are conversational, practical and grounded in real life.
EXPERIENCE BEHIND THE WORK
More than 15 years across:
Counselling & Community Work
Education & Youth Support
Refugee & Multicultural Communities
Residential Care
Communication & Conflict De-escalation
Writing & Public Speaking
Luke holds postgraduate qualifications in Counselling Studies and Education.