The Late Great: Christina Stead

Christina Stead, one of Australia’s most important writers, was a master of satire and wit. Stead wrote 15 novels and several volumes of short stories in her lifetime including the acclaimed The Man Who Loved Children. To discuss her life and work, host Ramona Koval is joined by playwright Darryl Emerson and writer Rodney Hall.

Topics covered include the pressure Stead faced over the settings for her stories (to cater for overseas markets), inspirations from her working life, her use of language and wordplay, the risqué aspects of her work (which Hall argues merely reflected a generosity toward her subjects) and her distinguished but lonely return to Australia. The panel are also asked whether Stead could be considered a feminist and why she is not widely included on university reading lists.