Madeleine A Life of Madeleine St John by Helen Trinca

• The utterly compelling story of Madeleine St John, one of Australia's finest female novelists • Madeleine: A Life of Madeleine St John will be the focus of a major media campaign in 2013 • Madeleine St John is best known for her delightful and sparkling novels The Women in Black, A Pure Clear Light, A Stairway to Paradise and The Essence of the Thing, which was shortlisted for the Booker Prize • Helen Trinca is the co-author of two previous non-fiction books and is currently Managing Editor at the Australian newspaper • An unforgettable insight into the life of a fiercely talented young woman and a highly acclaimed Australian author • The daughter of barrister and politician Ted St John, and French-born Sylvette Cargher, Madeleine St John lost her mother to mental illness at age twelve and was convinced her father wanted nothing to do with her. Her deep sense of rejection would shadow her constantly as she grew up in Sydney's inner suburbs, attended Sydney University and later made a permanent home in London • Madeleine St John's life story includes a fantastic cast of Australian luminaries early in their careers: Robert Hughes, Bruce Beresford, Germaine Greer, Clive James and Barry Humphries • 'Sometimes, when I'm reading one of the marvellous little novels of Madeleine St John, part of whose genius was for avoiding all publicity, I think the only lasting fame for any of the rest of us will reside in the face that we once knew her.' Clive James • A meticulously researched and beautifully written Australian story that spans the twentieth and early twenty-first centuries • Perfect gift for Mother's Day • Since Text republished The Women in Black it has sold 20,000 copies in ANZ • Gorgeous cover design by W. H. Chong • Includes several pages of colour plates

ISBN: 9781921922848