TALKS BY WOMEN WRITERS
KATE FORSYTH AND BELINDA MURRELL
in conversation with URSULA DUBOSARSKY
Belinda Murrell
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Kate Forsyth
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Kate Forsyth and Belinda Murrell are both well-known Australian storytellers. They are also sisters who joined forces to investigate the story of Charlotte Waring Atkinson, their great-great-great-great-grandmother, the writer of Australia’s first book for children published in 1841. A fascinating hybrid, Searching for Charlotte is a biography of Charlotte, the story of Belinda and Kate’s journey of discovery to find out about the life of this courageous woman who came to Australia in 1826, as well as being an exploration of family history and family myths.
Searching for Charlotte: The Fascinating Story of Australia’s First Children’s Author has been long-listed for the 2021 Indie Book Awards: Non-Fiction. ‘The extraordinary, long-buried life story of Australia's earliest published children's author, Searching for Charlotte combines elements of biography, recreation of history and rediscovery of family history. It is a sometimes confronting but ultimately heartwarming journey into the story of a family with writing in its blood.’ ‘An inspiring tale that will appeal to writers and readers alike.’ ‘Every now and then, a very special book comes along. These books are pure magic and find ways to get into your heart and soul in ways you could never have imagined. Searching for Charlotte by Kate Forsyth and her sister, Belinda Murrell, is one of these books.’ ‘… a wonderful book, where fiction techniques were combined with non-fiction to create a powerful and touching story of feminism, family and the will to survive – and the impact of family history on the future – and the way the present mirrors the past sometimes.’ PARTICIPANTS
KATE FORSYTH
Dr Kate Forsyth is an internationally bestselling novelist, poet, and essayist who has won many awards, including the 2015 American Library Association award for Best Historical Fiction for her novel Bitter Greens; the William Atheling Jr Award for Criticism for her doctoral exegesis, The Rebirth of Rapunzel: A Mythic Biography of the Maiden in the Tower; and a silver medal in the 2018 US Readers Favorite book awards for Vasilisa the Wise & Other Tales of Brave Young Women. Kate was awarded the prestigious Nancy Keesing Fellowship by the State Library of NSW to research and write Searching for Charlotte. Kate has a BA in literature, a MA in creative writing and a Doctorate of Creative Arts, and is also an accredited master storyteller with the Australian Guild of Storytellers. Her books have been translated into 20 languages. BELINDA MURRELL
Belinda Murrell has worked as a journalist, technical writer, and public relations consultant, writing for newspapers and magazines around Australia. Belinda is the best-selling, internationally published author of 35 books, including her popular Lulu Bell and Pippa’s Island series for younger readers. She is also known for her historical novels including The Lost Sapphire, The River Charm, The Locket of Dreams, The Forgotten Pearl, The Ruby Talisman and The Ivory Rose. Her books have been recognised by many awards, including Honour Book KOALAS 2013, shortlisted nine times in the Young Australian Best Book Award (YABBA), CBCA Notable List, and highly commended in the PM’s Literary Awards. Her books have been translated into Czech, Turkish, Afrikaans and Portuguese. |
Date: Tuesday 9 March 2021
Time: 6pm AEDT for 6.30pm start. Interview finishes at 7.30 pm and the evening concludes at 8.00pm Location: The Women's Club, Level 4, 179 Elizabeth Street; and by Zoom. To set up zoom download from zoom.us/download. Tickets: Bookings are now open. In-person (includes wine and canapés) For Club members $25 For Guests $30 Zoom ticket For Club members $10 For Guests $15 Note: Women's Club members may book via the member portal. 
We gratefully acknowledge our 2020 sponsor, Women on Boards.
We gratefully thank our bookseller partner, Better Read than Dead.
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