Sydney Writers Festival: A Life on the Page with Sara El Sayed

Three writers of recently published works of memoir and biography consider the role research and artistic licence play into putting a life onto the page. Bernadette Brennan (Leaping into Waterfalls: The enigmatic Gillian Mears), Sara El-Sayed (Muddy People) and Yves Rees (All About Yves: Notes from a transition) sit down with Caroline Baum to discuss the processes, ethical considerations and surprising joys of writing from reality. Bernadette’s newest biography chronicles the life of writer Gillian Mears, Sara’s memoir charts her upbringing in an Egyptian Muslim family in Brisbane, and Yves’ memoir recounts their story of the trans experience and re-becoming.