Mrs Hopkins

A witty and poignant final novel from acclaimed author and filmmaker Shirley Barrett about what destroys us, what sustains us, and what we carry from one world into the next.

'Engaging, original and full of curiosity and wit . . . I didn't want it to end.' Asher Keddie

'Bursting with life . . . I was gripped from the first chapter.' Debra Oswald

'A subversive, dark delight.' Kat Stewart

'Barrett is a masterly world-builder.' New York Times

On a rainy night in 1871, an idealistic schoolmistress arrives on Cockatoo Island in Sydney Harbour. Mrs Hopkins doesn't know what to expect from the notorious Biloela Industrial School for Girls, but nothing could prepare her for what she encounters inside the high sandstone walls: the conditions are dismal, the rules are largely conceptual, and the girls spend most of their time finding creative ways to outsmart the adults.

Very quickly, Mrs Hopkins realises that noble intentions won't be enough to plough through the chaos around her. An unconventional school requires unconventional methods, and Mrs Hopkins is going to have to find her own ways to reach her lively, lost charges. But her own ghosts have followed her to Cockatoo Island, and refuse to stay hidden for much longer.

This witty, surreal and poignant final novel from Shirley Barrett is about what destroys us, what sustains us, and what we carry with us from one world into the next.

About the Author

Shirley Barrett was born in Melbourne in 1961 and is best known for her work as a screenwriter and director. Her first film, Love Serenade, won the Camera d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival in 1996. It was followed by Walk The Talk (2000) and South Solitary (2010). She also had a distinguished career writing and directing for television, including Heartbreak High, Love Child, Love My Way and Offspring.

Shirley's first novel, Rush Oh!, was published in 2015, and her second novel, The Bus on Thursday, in 2018. Shirley died in Sydney in August 2022 after a long illness. She was adding the final touches to Mrs Hopkins at the time of her death.