Australia's women writers in a man's world

Gwen Harwood, Ruth Park, Dorothy Hewitt and Christina Stead – all went on to become notable Australian writers. They were very different women from very different backgrounds, but they shared a sense of urgency around their vocation – their “need” to be a writer – that would not let them rest. These precocious girls in Australian cities weighed their chances and made their plans. Dr Ann-Marie Priest teaches English literature at Central Queensland University and is the author of A Free Flame – Australian Women Writers and Vocation. On Tuesday 10 April 2018, Ann-Marie Priest addressed The Sydney Institute to discuss these four Australian women writers who challenged the “man’s world” they survived.