Biographers in Conversation

Sneak Peek

Hello. I’m Gabriella Kelly-Davies, a biographer endlessly fascinated by the multiplicity of choices biographers make when crafting a life story.

When you read a biography, do you feel like you’re in the story living the biographical subject’s life, feeling what they’re feeling and seeing what they’re seeing? To stimulate your imagination this way, biographers make hundreds of decisions about how they research and write their books. It’s these choices I’ll explore with them in my new podcast, Biographers in Conversation.

Gabriella Kelly-Davies

Gabriella Kelly-Davies, Host of Biographers in Conversation

To kick off Season One on 3 April 2024, I’ll chat with Peter FitzSimons about the choices he made while writing an epic biography of Sydney Opera House, one of the world’s most iconic buildings.

Peter FitzSimons
Peter FitzSimons

Here’s Peter talking about a vital aspect of his biography and some of the literary devices he employed to craft propulsive narrative.

In another episode, I’ll chat with Jacqueline Kent about the choices she made while writing her biography of Beatrice Davis, the doyenne of Australia’s publishing industry.

Jacqueline Kent
Jacqueline Kent

Here’s a snippet of Jacqueline explaining why biographers must craft an authentic account of a subject’s life, one which is based on truth.

Also in Season One, Matthew Lamb, who wrote a biography of Frank Moorehouse, the celebrated Australian novelist, screenwriter and journalist, describes differences between the art and business of writing life stories.

Matthew Lamb
Matthew Lamb

And Ann-Marie Priest, who wrote the biography of Gwen Harwood, one of Australia’s most innovative poets, explains how she contextualised Gwen’s poetry.

Winner of the 2023 National Biography Award
Ann-Marie Priest
Ann-Marie Priest

In future episodes of Season One, I’ll chat with biographers from around the world, including Kenneth Miller, who wrote a biography of the quartet of scientists who created the field of sleep science.

Kenneth Miller
Kenneth Miller

Joshua Kendall, who wrote the biography of Peter Roget, the polymath who created the Famous Roget’s Thesaurus, will reveal the choices he made while writing The Man Who Made Lists.

rogets
Joshua Kendall
Joshua Kendall

And Nancy Hurrell will introduce us to the history of the Egan Irish Harp and the life story of John Egan, the harp’s inventor and creator.

Nancy Hurrell and The Egan Irish Harp
Nancy Hurrell and The Egan Irish Harp

Sarah George, who wrote GAMU: The Dreamtime Stories, Life and Feelings of Big Bill Neidjie, will introduce us to Aboriginal elder Big Bill Neidjie, who was instrumental in establishing the World Heritage-listed Kakadu National Park.

Sarah George
Sarah George

Bernadette Brennan shares her approach when crafting A Writing Life. Helen Garner and her Work, the literary portrait of one of Australia’s most vital and revered authors.

Shortlisted for the 2018 National Biography Award
Bernadette Brennan
Bernadette Brennan

And Joel Stephen Birnie will share the choices he made while writing My People’s Songs. How An Indigenous Family Survived Colonial Tasmania, the story of his family’s harrowing experiences in surviving colonisation of Tasmania during the nineteenth century.

Shortlisted for the 2023 Ernest Scott Prize
Joel Stephen Birnie
Joel Stephen Birnie

We’ll also hear from Nadia Wheatley about the choices she made while writing the biography of the celebrated Australian author, Charmian Clift.

Nadia Wheatley
Nadia Wheatley

In exciting news, Nadia has just published an edited version of Charmian Clift’s, The End of the Morning, which includes Clift’s previously unpublished autobiographical novel and thirty of Clift’s essays.

The never-before-published novel by Charmian Clift.
The never-before-published novel by Charmian Clift.

And Mark McKenna will reveal the choices he made while writing the biography of legendary Australian historian, Manning Clark.

Winner: Prime Minister’s Literary Awards
Mark McKenna
Mark McKenna

In Season One, I’ll also chat with:

I hope you’re as excited as I am to hear from each of these biographers about the choices they made to craft enthralling narrative that gets to the truth of their subject. If you like the sound of Biographers in Conversation please subscribe, share the podcast with your family and friends and leave a review. Stay tuned for the launch of Biographers in Conversation on 3 April 2024.

8 Comments

  1. Xiumin on March 4, 2024 at 7:09 am

    A wonderful URL. I will visit from time to time.

    • Gabriella Kelly-Davies on March 28, 2024 at 8:15 am

      Hi Xiumin

      Thanks so much
      I hope you enjoy Biographers in Conversation
      Warmest wishes
      Gabriella

  2. Anne Whaite on March 4, 2024 at 2:13 pm

    I would like to subscribe

    • Gabriella Kelly-Davies on March 28, 2024 at 8:14 am

      Hi Anne

      If you go to the webpage: biographersinconversation.com, the logos for Spotify, apple Podcasts etc are now live and you can click on them to subscribe

  3. Dylan on March 11, 2024 at 3:44 pm

    I still think this is pretty amazing

    • Gabriella Kelly-Davies on March 28, 2024 at 8:12 am

      thanks so much Dylan
      Have a fabulous day
      warmest wishes
      Gabriella

  4. Elizabeth Sondhaus, Ph.D. on March 22, 2024 at 12:46 am

    Can you provide information as to how to subscribe to your podcast? Thank you.

    • Gabriella Kelly-Davies on March 28, 2024 at 8:12 am

      Hi Elizabeth

      Thanks so much for your message..
      The links to Apple Podcasts, Spotify etc are now at the top of the homepage
      I hope you enjoy Biographers in Conversation
      Warmest wishes
      Gabriella

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