Festival Appearance: Helen Trinca in conversation with David Meagher

Helen Trinca and David Meagher delve into Looking for Elizabeth, the first full biography of acclaimed author Elizabeth Harrower.

The full story of an Australian literary enigma.

Why did Elizabeth Harrower – one of Australia's most important postwar authors – stop writing at the height of her powers?

After publishing four books that earned the admiration of Patrick White, Shirley Hazzard and Christina Stead, Harrower published no more novels. She faded from the literary landscape, until being rediscovered decades later to international acclaim.

In Looking for Elizabeth, Helen Trinca unravels this mystery. Exploring the personal and artistic forces that shaped Harrower’s writing, she draws a sensitive portrait of a wounded ‘divorced child’ and the legacy of abandonment she carried throughout her life. She probes the contradictions of a woman who wielded extraordinary insight into others’ lives but guarded her own fiercely. And she vividly brings to life the literary circles of this fascinating era in Australian culture.

Based on interviews with Harrower and full access to her archive, Looking for Elizabeth is the first full biography of this significant figure in Australian letters.