At the age of fifteen Madeleine saw herself as a painter and pianist, but Ms Medway peered down at Madeleine during her entrance interview in 1957 and announced- 'You know dear, I think you might write.'
Madeleine would write. But not for some time. The Women in Black, a sparkling gem that belied the difficulties that had dogged her own life, was published when Madeleine St John was in her fifties. Her third novel, The Essence of the Thing, was shortlisted for the 1997 Booker Prize, and she continued to write until her death in 2006.
Helen Trinca has captured the troubled life of Madeleine St John in this moving account of a remarkable writer. After the death of her mother when Madeleine was just twelve, she struggled to find her place in the world. Estranging herself from her family, and from Australia, she lived for a time in the US before moving to London where she joined Australians Robert Hughes, Germaine Greer, Bruce Beresford, Barry Humphries and Clive James. In 1993, when The Women in Black was published, it was immediately clear what a marvellous writer Madeleine St John was.
About the Author
Helen Trinca has co-written two previous books- Waterfront- The Battle that Changed Australia and Better than Sex- How a Whole Generation Got Hooked on Work. She has held senior reporting and editing roles in Australian journalism, including a stint as the Australian's London correspondent, and is currently Managing Editor of the Australian. Her biography of Madeleine St John was published in 2013 and was awarded the 2014 Prime Minister's Literary Award for Non-Fiction.
Industry Reviews
'[A] brilliant biography.' * Australian Women's Weekly *
`Madeleine is a joy...Moving, frustrating, fascinating: Madeleine is a wonderful book. One thinks St John might have appreciated its elegance, at least. Though she would have hated it, of course; which is to say Trinca has told her story scrupulously, and well.' * Delia Falconer, Weekend Australian *
'Expertly researched and fair in its portrayal...[Trinca's prose] is able to masterfully conjure the affluence of 1950s Sydney, its lonely housewives and lost migrants, as well as the shabby chic of 60s London and its bohemian share houses, head with casual sex and marijuana.' * Readings Monthly *
`[Madeleine] isn't merely a history of a singular writer, it is also a trenchant interrogation of a period and a country.' * Monthly *
'It is a credit to Trinca's research and the empathy she displays in this fine biography of a difficult woman that at the end the reader goes to the shelves and takes out the copies of St John's books.' * Sydney Review of Books *
`A rich and moving account of a difficult life redeemed by art.' * Independent on Sunday *
'The vibrant and witty prose of Australian novelist Madeleine St John belies a sombre and troubled soul according to this new biography, which delves into the writer's fragile psyche...This insightful study pays homage to a gifted, but underrated author.' * Lady *
