Cirrus@Austlit

'Earlier this year, I spent four days as part of the body of volunteer workers at the Sydney Writers’ Festival and soaked up the bonhomie that comes from readers and writers gathering to talk about books. The Festival is still emerging from the Covid years: mass events are still approached with caution, international travel is down and it was a smaller affair than usual' (Introduction)

'In interviewing second wave feminists for her PhD, Kath was shocked to discover that newspaper employment columns were divided into male and female categories and that women were banned from public bars in hotels. In the 60s, women made up only 25% of undergraduates. There were no women in the House of Representative until 1974. But once women began to speak up, change came quickly.' (Introduction)

'Though I knew the gist of the issues raised by The Mother before I began – I’d read the devastating stories of victims of domestic violence, watched the news and thought I understood the issues – this novel still shocks.' (Introduction)