'Barbara Hanrahan wrote: 'It is a struggle ... to be me ... to accept ME, and my spiritual purpose.'
This authoritative biography illuminates the life of a great Australian
writer and artist. The story starts with Barbara Hanrahan's childhood in
Adelaide, travels with her to 'swinging London' of the 1960s, and
recounts her remarkable achievements in Britain and Australia in the
following decades. Like the artists she most admired - among them,
William Blake, Frida Kahlo and D.H. Lawrence - Barbara Hanrahan
dedicated herself uncompromisingly to the life of the mind and spirit,
producing a body of work that remains challenging and rewarding.
Annette Stewart has drawn on a wealth of unpublished material, including
the artist's letters, photographs, prints and diaries, as well as
interviews with her friends and her partner, the sculptor Jo Steele.
Barbara Hanrahan is beautifully illustrated with a number of
Hanrahan's artworks, some of which have not been published before, and
many photographs from her life.' (Publisher's blurb)
