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Leaping into Waterfalls
The enigmatic Gillian Mears
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Format: Paperback / softback
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Leaping into Waterfalls explores the rich, tumultuous life of Gillian Mears, one of Australia's most significant writers of the last forty years.
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Description
WINNER OF THE 2022 NATIONAL BIOGRAPHY AWARD
WINNER OF THE AGE NON-FICTION BOOK OF THE YEAR
WINNER OF THE MAGAREY MEDAL FOR BIOGRAPHY
Leaping into Waterfalls by Bernadette Brennan explores the life of Gillian Mears, a woman who appeared to many as a shy figure from Grafton, yet her reality was filled with adventure, risk, and often transgressive passion. In her award-winning and acclaimed novels and short stories, Mears wrote fearlessly about the dark undercurrents of country and family life, always probing the depths and complexity of human desire.
Mears' sensuality and sexuality were the driving forces of her life and writing. Despite being plagued by ill health as an adult, she remained steadfast in her quest for independence and freedom. Remarkably, while recovering from open-heart surgery, she traversed the country alone in a de-commissioned ambulance. By her mid-forties, multiple sclerosis had confined her to a wheelchair, yet she continued to write and publish until her death in 2016.
Mears amassed an extensive collection of diaries, letters, manuscripts, photographs, recordings, and ephemera, depositing them with the Mitchell Library. She corresponded prolifically with significant cultural figures such as Gerald Murnane, David Malouf, Tim Winton, Elizabeth Jolley, Helen Garner, Drusilla Modjeska, Kate Grenville, and Marr Grounds.
This meticulous and moving biography situates Mears' life and work within this broader cultural community, celebrating her truly extraordinary achievements and adventures.
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Leaping into Waterfalls by Bernadette Brennan is praised for its insightful portrayal of the life and work of Gillian Mears. Reviewers admire the author's detailed research and empathetic storytelling, noting how it captures both the complexity and brilliance of Mears's literary achievements and personal struggles. Many find it a compelling and moving tribute to a significant Australian writer.
Book Details
INFORMATION
ISBN: 9781760879785
Publisher: Allen & Unwin
Format: Paperback / softback
Date Published: 28 September 2021
Country: Australia
Imprint: Allen & Unwin
Audience: General / adult
DIMENSIONS
Width: 153.0mm
Height: 234.0mm
Weight: 476g
Pages: 360
About the Author
Bernadette Brennan is a critic and researcher of contemporary Australian writing. She is the author of a number of publications, including a monograph on Brian Castro and two edited collections: Just Words?: Australian Authors Writing for Justice (UQP 2008), and Ethical Investigations: Essays on Australian Literature and Poetics (Vagabond 2008). In 2017 she published her award-winning literary biography A Writing Life: Helen Garner and Her Work (Text). Her most recent book, Leaping Into Waterfalls: The Enigmatic Gillian Mears (A&U 2021), was shortlisted for the 2022 NSW Premier's Douglas Stewart award and won the prestigious Magarey Medal for Biography, the National Biography Award and the Age Book of the Year (non-fiction). Bernadette is also one of five judges for the Miles Franklin Award.
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