Brenda Niall's "Joan Lindsay: The Hidden Life of the Woman Who Wrote Picnic at Hanging Rock"

In this episode of Biographers in Conversation, Australia’s doyenne of biography, Brenda Niall, chats with Dr Gabriella Kelly-Davies about her choices while crafting: Joan Lindsay: The Hidden Life of the Woman Who Wrote Picnic at Hanging Rock.

Here’s what you’ll discover in this episode:

• Brenda Niall’s inspiration for crafting Joan Lindsay: The Hidden Life of the Woman Who Wrote Picnic at Hanging Rock


• Brenda’s meticulous research strategy


• How Joan Lindsay’s character drove the plot


• How Brenda balanced Joan’s public persona with her human story


• Why Brenda asked penetrating questions throughout the narrative about Joan’s inconsistencies and contradictions and the role these questions played in the narrative


• Why Brenda left a trail of breadcrumbs and clues throughout the narrative


• How Brenda contextualised Joan’s life and her choices within their broader historical, social and cultural landscape


• How Brenda’s psychological acuity enabled her to illuminate the complexities of Joan’s character and personality