With a BA from the University of Adelaide and an MA (Drama and Film) from Flinders University, Susan Mitchell worked as a high school teacher in Adelaide and London before becoming a lecturer in literary studies at the South Australian College of Advanced Education, later becoming Senior Lecturer in Communications at the University of South Australia. She has also been a scriptwriter and editor, was the ABC's first television critic on Today at One (1974-1975) and was presenter and writer of their radio programme The Coming Out Show. She ran a twice-weekly interview programme on ABC TV, Susan Mitchell: In Conversation (1993-1994). She is a columnist for The Australian and a book reviewer and feature writer for The Bulletin, The Age, the Sydney Morning Herald, The Australian and The Australian Financial Review. She is active in the Australian Arts scene, including being Director of the Australia Council Literature Board and Director of the Board for Film Australia.
Susan Mitchell has also published a number of other works on women in Australian society, including Winning Women : Challenging the Norms in Australian Sport with Ken Dyer (1985), The Matriarchs: Twelve Australian Women Talk about their Lives (1987), Public Lives, Private Passions : Nine Women Talk about their Lives and their Partnerships with Influential Men (c.1994), The Scent of Power (1996) and Icons, Saints and Divas: Intimate Conversations with Women Who Changed the World (1997). She has also written Be Bold! : And Discover the Power of Praise (2000).
Her All Things Bright and Beautiful: Murder in the City of Light (Sydney : Pan Macmillan Australia, 2004) won the Ned Kelly Award for Best True crime writing in 2005.
