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Shirley Hazzard: A Writing Life

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( 70 ratings, 18 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
Shirley Hazzard: A Writing Life by Brigitta Olubas offers an insightful exploration into the life and career of the acclaimed author Shirley Hazzard. This biography delves into Hazzard's formative years, her development as a writer, and her influence in the literary world. Brigitta Olubas provides an intimate look at Hazzard's personal experiences and relationships, revealing the profound impact they had on her celebrated works.
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Format: Paperback / softback
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

This book may appeal to you if you're fascinated by the intricate nuances of a writer's life and enjoy exploring the profound impact of literary contributions on personal and public realms. It's a captivating portrayal of a celebrated author's journey, offering insights into her creative process and the world of literature she inhabited.

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The authorised biography of Shirley Hazzard, one of the greatest writers in the English language, author of The Great Fire, The Transit of Venus and Greene on Capri, winner of the National Book Award, the Miles Franklin Award and shortlisted for The Women's Prize for Fiction.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description
Cosmopolitan, richly intelligent, beautiful, questing - Shirley Hazzard's writing reflects her life. The acclaim it attracts is immeasurable.

Brigitta Olubas tells the story of a girl from the suburbs of Sydney, Australia who fell early under the spell of words and sought out books as her companions. In the process, she transformed and indeed created her life. She became a woman of the world who felt injustice keenly and a deep and original thinker, who wrote some of the most beautiful novels - Transit of Venus and The Great Fire among them - and always with an eye to the ways we reveal ourselves to another.

'One of those rare biographies that sends one greedily back to the subject's word, better equipped to appreciate the richness on display'

LUCY SCHOLES, Financial Times

'Strikingly well-placed and well-proportioned... as befits her subject, Olubas comes with a gift for place and psychology'

MICHAEL HOFMANN, Times Literary Supplement

'This new account of Hazzard's life should confirm her as one of the 20th century's greatest novelists'

CHLOE SCHAMA, Vogue

'An impeccably researched and deeply incisive account of Hazzard's life and work, and the intriguing interplay between the two'

LILY KING, New York Times

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Brigitta Olubas's biography of Shirley Hazzard is receiving high praise for its meticulous research and thoughtful exploration of Hazzard's life and work. Reviewers commend Olubas for her empathetic and discerning portrayal of Hazzard's personal and professional complexities. The biography is described as a compelling and insightful work that enriches the reader's understanding of Hazzard's literary achievements and sends them back to her work with a deeper appreciation.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780349012865

Publisher: Little, Brown Book Group

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 06 June 2023

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Virago Press Ltd

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 46.0mm

Width: 126.0mm

Height: 196.0mm

Weight: 500g

Pages: 576

About the Author

Brigitta Olubas is professor of English in the School of the Arts and Media at the University of New South Wales, Australia. She published the first scholarly monograph on Hazzard's writing and edited Shirley Hazzard's essays, We Need Silence To Find Out What We Think and Shirley Hazzard's Collected Stories.

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  • Hazzard and Harrower
    Shirley Hazzard and Elizabeth Harrower met in person for the first time in London in 1972, six years after they began a correspondence that would span four decades. They exchanged letters, cards, and telegrams, and made occasional phone calls between Harrower's home in Sydney and Hazzard's apartments in New York, Naples, and Capri. The two women wrote to each other...
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  • Shirley Hazzard: A Writing Life
    Hazzard's marvellous, luminous writing I discovered only recently; now I don't know how I ever managed to get along without it - Sarah Waters Born and raised in Sydney, Australia, Shirley Hazzard lived around the world: in Hong Kong; Wellington, New Zealand; New York; Naples and Capri. Her writingβ€”cosmopolitan, richly intelligent, beautiful, questingβ€”reflects her life. Her body of work is...
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