The Writers of Janet Clarke Hall

This year the University of Melbourne’s Janet Clarke Hall celebrates its 125th anniversary and will hold a series of events marking its heritage as Australia’s oldest residential college for women and one of the first in the world. The first of these will be an afternoon panel and discussion forum at the Wheeler Centre featuring college literary luminaries. Writers and novelists Helen Garner, Anna Goldsworthy, Alice Pung and Lee Tulloch have all dwelt within Janet Clarke Hall’s ivy-clad walls as students, tutors or artists in residence, and will gather to discuss its influences, their work and the literary life with fellow JCH alumni, Jan McGuinness.

Presenters

Helen Garner

Helen Garner was born in Geelong in 1942. Her award-winning books include novels, stories, screenplays and works of non-fiction, including The First Stone (1995) and Joe Cinque’s Consolation (2004), which were both bestsellers. The Spare Room is her first novel in 15 years.

Anna Goldsworthy

Anna Goldsworthy is the author of Piano Lessons. Anna’s writing has appeared in the Monthly, the Age, the Adelaide Review and Best Australian Essays.

Alice Pung

Alice Pung’s memoir Unpolished Gem won the Australian Book Industry Association award for Newcomer of the Year and was short-listed for numerous other awards.

Lee Tulloch

Lee Tulloch is a journalist and novelist.