How do the sources determine the nature of a biography? Cathy Perkins will talk about the relationship between the extensive Zora Cross archives and her biography The Shelf Life of Zora Cross. From Cross’s 1917 poetry sensation Songs of Love and Life to her novels, letters and profiles of other female authors, she was a lifelong writer whose body of unpublished work is a creative achievement in itself. Cathy will talk about her process of writing the biography and compare the sources she used for Zora Cross with those she is finding for her current group biography project.

Cathy Perkins’ biography The Shelf Life of Zora Cross (Monash University Publishing, 2019) was the result of a 10-year fascination with Australian writer Zora Cross. Reviewers have called it an ‘imaginatively conceived biography’ (Sydney Morning Herald) and ‘a beguiling narrative … splendidly told’ (Australian Book Review). It was shortlisted for the Australian History Prize of the NSW Premier’s Literary Awards and highly commended in the National Biography Award. Cathy works as an editor at the State Library of NSW and is completing a PhD in non-fiction writing at UNSW.

Zoom Option
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