image of person or book cover 8917874095846113946.jpg
Cover image courtesy of publisher.
y separately published work icon Richard Cooke on Robyn Davidson single work   essay  
Alternative title: On Robyn Davidson
Issue Details: First known date: 2020... 2020 Richard Cooke on Robyn Davidson
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AbstractHistoryArchive Description

'Robyn Davidson, author of the classic memoir Tracks, has led a remarkable life of writing and nomadic travel. In this crisp, erudite essay, acclaimed critic and journalist Richard Cooke explores Davidson’s relationship with place and freedom, and her singular presence in Australian letters.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

Publication Details of Only Known VersionEarliest 2 Known Versions of

    • Collingwood, Fitzroy - Collingwood area, Melbourne - North, Melbourne, Victoria,: Black Inc. , 2020 .
      image of person or book cover 8917874095846113946.jpg
      Cover image courtesy of publisher.
      Extent: 128p.
      Note/s:
      • Published 28 April 2020.
      ISBN: 9781760642303 (hbk), 9781743821329 (ebook)
      Series: y separately published work icon Writers on Writers Carlton : Black Inc. , 2017- 11465978 2017 series - publisher essay

      'In a series of six short books, Writers on Writers, to be launched in October, each author will reflect on another Australian writer who has inspired and influenced them.

      Black Inc. publisher Chris Feik says each book will have its own unique flavour, voice and approach. “We hope these memorable encounters between writers will open up new reading worlds and shine a fresh light on past treasures,” says Mr Feik...' (Series summary)

Works about this Work

Book Review : On Robyn Davidson: Writers on Writers by Richard Cooke Vanessa Francesca , 2020 single work review
— Appears in: ArtsHub , May 2020;

— Review of Richard Cooke on Robyn Davidson Richard Cooke , 2020 single work essay

'Cooke’s Robyn Davidson Writers on Writers is a cool, clever look at an elusive and enigmatic presence who illuminates the dark heart of Australian letters.'

Threading the Eye of a Needle Peter Craven , 2020 single work review
— Appears in: The Weekend Australian , 6 June 2020; (p. 16)

— Review of Richard Cooke on Robyn Davidson Richard Cooke , 2020 single work essay
Richard Cooke, On Robyn Davidson Louise Swinn , 2020 single work review
— Appears in: The Saturday Paper , 27 June - 3 July 2020;

— Review of Richard Cooke on Robyn Davidson Richard Cooke , 2020 single work essay

'It begins with lightkeeper Esther Nunn, inspired after she is sent Tracks by a friend. Or it begins with author Anna Krien, for whom Robyn Davidson has been a moral compass since, as a child, Krien saw Davidson on the cover of National Geographic. Or it begins with Richard Cooke’s wife, Loulou, similarly smitten. The story really begins long before those moments though, before the 1980 publication of Davidson’s influential Tracks, when journalists travelled to interview “the camel lady” while she was on her now-famous journey. Cooke seeks to understand the appeal of Davidson and, while he keeps his enthusiasm in check, he clearly numbers among those who have been inspired.' (Introduction)

'The Thing I Mostly Am' : The Many Treks of Robyn Davidson Sophie Cunningham , 2020 single work review
— Appears in: Australian Book Review , June-July no. 422 2020; (p. 18)

— Review of Richard Cooke on Robyn Davidson Richard Cooke , 2020 single work essay

'The women that Robyn Davidson had a powerful effect on, Richard Cooke tells us, include author Anna Krien, adventurer Esther Nunn, and his wife. ‘I watched as the power of this book and its author, their energy and weight, worked an entrainment across cultures and generations,’ writes Cooke. In some ways his essay charts his struggle with that power. How not to fall into the trap that others who have tackled Davidson have fallen into? ‘I lagged decades of writers and pilgrims, interlopers and fans. Reading interviews to try to chicane through the questions already asked was pointless. They most often sought answers about the same thing – her first book, now published forty years ago.’' (Introduction)

'The Thing I Mostly Am' : The Many Treks of Robyn Davidson Sophie Cunningham , 2020 single work review
— Appears in: Australian Book Review , June-July no. 422 2020; (p. 18)

— Review of Richard Cooke on Robyn Davidson Richard Cooke , 2020 single work essay

'The women that Robyn Davidson had a powerful effect on, Richard Cooke tells us, include author Anna Krien, adventurer Esther Nunn, and his wife. ‘I watched as the power of this book and its author, their energy and weight, worked an entrainment across cultures and generations,’ writes Cooke. In some ways his essay charts his struggle with that power. How not to fall into the trap that others who have tackled Davidson have fallen into? ‘I lagged decades of writers and pilgrims, interlopers and fans. Reading interviews to try to chicane through the questions already asked was pointless. They most often sought answers about the same thing – her first book, now published forty years ago.’' (Introduction)

Richard Cooke, On Robyn Davidson Louise Swinn , 2020 single work review
— Appears in: The Saturday Paper , 27 June - 3 July 2020;

— Review of Richard Cooke on Robyn Davidson Richard Cooke , 2020 single work essay

'It begins with lightkeeper Esther Nunn, inspired after she is sent Tracks by a friend. Or it begins with author Anna Krien, for whom Robyn Davidson has been a moral compass since, as a child, Krien saw Davidson on the cover of National Geographic. Or it begins with Richard Cooke’s wife, Loulou, similarly smitten. The story really begins long before those moments though, before the 1980 publication of Davidson’s influential Tracks, when journalists travelled to interview “the camel lady” while she was on her now-famous journey. Cooke seeks to understand the appeal of Davidson and, while he keeps his enthusiasm in check, he clearly numbers among those who have been inspired.' (Introduction)

Threading the Eye of a Needle Peter Craven , 2020 single work review
— Appears in: The Weekend Australian , 6 June 2020; (p. 16)

— Review of Richard Cooke on Robyn Davidson Richard Cooke , 2020 single work essay
Book Review : On Robyn Davidson: Writers on Writers by Richard Cooke Vanessa Francesca , 2020 single work review
— Appears in: ArtsHub , May 2020;

— Review of Richard Cooke on Robyn Davidson Richard Cooke , 2020 single work essay

'Cooke’s Robyn Davidson Writers on Writers is a cool, clever look at an elusive and enigmatic presence who illuminates the dark heart of Australian letters.'

Last amended 5 Mar 2020 14:53:12
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