Maria Katsonis & Lee Kofman (ed)
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More at www.michelle-law.com
Amra Pajalic is an author, editor and teacher. Her debut novel The Good Daughter, Text, 2009, won the 2009 Melbourne Prize for Literature’s Civic Choice Award, and was a finalist in the 2009 Melbourne Prize for Literature Best Writing Award. She is also author of a novel for children Amir: Friend on Loan, Garratt Publishing, 2014, and co-editor of Coming of Age: Growing up Muslim in Australia, Allen & Unwin, 2014, an anthology shortlisted for the 2015 Children’s Book Council Book of the Year. She is funded by Arts Victoria to develop her memoir Things Nobody Knows But Me. More at www.amrapajalic.com
Nicola Redhouse is a writer and book editor. She has been published in places including Best Australian Stories 2014 and 2015, Meanjin, Kill Your Darlings, Wet Ink, harvest, The Big Issue and Indigo. She is currently writing a non-fiction book about psychoanalysis, science and her family story.
Jamila Rizvi is a writer, editor, commentator and presenter. She is Editor at Large for Mamamia and appears regularly on TV shows including News Breakfast, The Project and The Verdict. Jamila worked for both the Rudd and Gillard Governments advising on youth, media, women, childcare and employment issues. In 2014 she was named one of Australia’s 100 most influential women by Westpac and The Australian Financial Review. Jamila holds degrees in law and commerce, is married to Jeremy and mother to baby Rafi. She maintains that her greatest ever achievement is having a jaffle named after her at the local pub, the ‘Jam Rizzle’.
Rochelle Siemienowicz is a film critic, journalist, editor and columnist. She has a PhD in Australian cinema and was previously film editor for The Big Issue and editor at the Australian Film Institute. Her work has been published widely, including in The Age, Kill Your Darlings, Archer, Eureka Street and SBS Movies. Her first book Fallen: A Memoir About Sex, Religion and Marrying Too Young is published by Affirm Press, 2015.
Rebecca Starford is the co-founder and publishing director of Kill Your Darlings. Her debut memoir Bad Behaviour, Allen & Unwin, 2015, is out now.
Susan Wyndham is literary editor of The Sydney Morning Herald. She has been a journalist for 35 years, as a reporter and feature writer, editor of Good Weekend magazine, New York correspondent for The Australian and a deputy editor of The Herald. She is the author of Life in His Hands: The True Story of a Neurosurgeon and a Pianist, Picador Australia, 2008, contributing editor of My Mother, My Father: On Losing a Parent, Allen & Unwin, 2013 and has contributed to several other books. She lives in Sydney with her husband, Paul Sheehan.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
This book would not have been possible without the writers who agreed to join our rebellious literary adventure. Our deep felt thanks for recounting your acts of defiance with such generosity and honesty. It is our privilege to share these pages with you.
We owe special thanks to Jane Curry from Ventura Press who initiated the project. A rebellious daughter herself, Jane recognised the importance of giving voice to women writers who challenge conventions and defy stereotypes. Thanks also to Jasmine Standfield and Eleanor Reader for shepherding the book through the publishing process.
Maria would like to thank Janice van Reyk and Linda Smith for their wise counsel and ongoing support. Lee thanks her parents Geula and Avraham Kofman for not only putting up with her rebellions that are still unfolding, but also accepting her writing about them and even minding her little boys while she worked on this book. A big thank you also to her mother-in-law Barbara Efron and her partner David Hart for looking after Luca and Ollie during those months of work on the anthology. She is in debt to Nicola Redhouse and Dmetri Kakmi for their insightful editorial remarks about her essay here. And, most of all, Lee is grateful to Daryl Efron, her gloriously wonderful husband, who is always there when she needs him (and oh, she needs him a lot!).
We also thank Rochelle Siemienowicz for allowing us to use the beautiful quote from her essay on our back cover.
PERMISSIONS
Dreamtime Alice by Mandy Sayer, Allen & Unwin 2012. Reproduced with the permission of the author and Allen & Unwin Pty Ltd.
Practicalities by Marguerite Duras, Grove Press 1993.
Slouching Towards Bethlehem by Joan Didion, Farrar, Straus and Giroux 1968. Reproduced with the permission of Janklow & Nesbit Associates.
“The Pencil and the Damage Done” by Ceridwen Dovey. From The Monthly, November 2014. Reproduced with the permission of the author.
NOTE FROM JOANNA FLETCHER, CEOWOMEN’S LEGAL SERVICE VICTORIA
The diversity of experiences captured in this wonderful anthology illustrate the broad and rich experience of womanhood. Many of the essays touch on the darker side of growing up female in our society and capture the rebellion and resilience inherent in escaping violence.
Over 460,000 Australian women experience violence every year and at least one woman is murdered by a partner or ex partner every single week. By buying this book you are helping women experiencing disadvantage to have access to vital specialist legal assistance.
ABOUT WOMEN’S LEGAL SERVICE VICTORIA
Women’s Legal Service Victoria (WLSV) helps women experiencing disadvantage to exercise their rights to live free from violence and make free and informed decisions about their relationships. We do this by providing free legal advice and representation for individual women, by educating other professionals and the community and by advocating for change to law and policy.
WLSV assists over 3000 individual women every year, at least 70% of whom have been victims of family violence. Our education and policy programs benefit many more women.
DONATE
WLSV is funded by government, but relies heavily on donations and in kind support. Your donation will make a difference. Please visit us at www.womenslegal.org.au to read more about the important work that we do or go straight to: https://www.givenow.com.au/womenslegalservicevic