In this episode of Biographers in Conversation, Dr Bron Bateman chats with Dr Gabriella Kelly-Davies about her choices while editing Women of a Certain Courage. Here’s what you’ll discover in this episode: The drive behind Women of a Certain Courage, including why Bron set out to challenge traditional male-centric hero narratives and celebrate everyday women’s bravery. How Bron handpicked 18 diverse women writers—Indigenous activists, queer and trans voices and women with disabilities—to share first-person stories of courage from across Australia. A peek into Bron’s editing process: how her poet’s eye for imagery and rhythm helped shape the anthology’s powerful emotional journey. The common threads of resilience, healing and transformation that connect these diverse stories and how each woman emerges stronger after adversity. Bron’s fresh take on what courage really means, highlighting that heroism isn’t always loud. It can be found in small acts of persistence and speaking your truth in everyday life. Why sharing these stories creates a ripple effect of bravery, inspiring others to find their own courage. Why Bron believes every act of courage, no matter how small, matters.

In this episode of Biographers in Conversation, Dr Stephen J. Campbell chats with Dr Gabriella Kelly-Davies about his choices while crafting Leonardo da Vinci: An Untraceable Life. Here’s what you’ll discover in this episode: Why Stephen Campbell resists the urge to create a seamless narrative and instead embraces the mystery, silence and gaps in Leonardo da Vinci’s story. How the book’s structure reflects the fragmented reality of Leonardo’s life. The origin of the book’s title and how it challenges traditional biographical expectations by leaning into ambiguity. How Campbell uses philosophical chapter titles and historical nuance to explore mythmaking and modern interpretations of Leonardo da Vinci. Why Campbell avoids speculation and instead invites readers to sit with what we don’t know, treating uncertainty as revealing rather than inconvenient. The biographer’s role as a curator of questions rather than authority, a model of life writing that prioritises transparency over certainty. The myths the book gently dismantles, from the lonely genius trope to misconceptions about Leonardo’s inventions and personality. How An Untraceable Life encourages us to rethink what biography can be and to rediscover awe in the unresolvable aspects of a life.

In this episode of Biographers in Conversation, the musician and author Dr Jillian Graham chats with Dr Gabriella Kelly-Davies about her choices while crafting Inner Song. A Biography of Margaret Sutherland, the life story of the ‘Grand Old Lady of Classical Music.’ Here’s what you’ll discover in this episode: Margeret Sutherland was a child prodigy, composer, pianist and teacher. She composed more than 200 works and was an influential champion of both contemporary and Australian music Margaret Sutherland’s role in Australia’s cultural history and why she still matters, 40 years after her death How Jillian Graham narrowed the biographical scope given the avalanche of evidence she sourced during her painstaking research How Margaret’s character drove the plot of Inner Song How Jillian balanced Margaret’s voice and perspective and her voice as the narrator How Jillian balanced Margaret’s public persona and professional accomplishments with her human story How Jillian reconciled conflicting opinions about Margaret Sutherland Why it was so vital to bring Margaret Sutherland’s story to a new generation of readers and music lovers.

In this episode of Biographers in Conversation, Dr David Veltman, Dr Daniel Meister and Professor Hans Renders chat with Dr Gabriella Kelly-Davies about Biography Across the Digitized Globe: Essays in Honour of Hans Renders. Here’s what you’ll discover in this episode: David and Daniel edited this collection of essays to honour Hans’s pioneering role in the field of biography. Diverse perspectives on how digital sources and global connections are reshaping how we share life stories. Why biography remains a vital, evolving genre despite deliberate disinformation and an Orwellian subversion of truthfulness in politics and public conversation. Why is it vital to consider biographical traditions from around the world. Diverse perspectives on how digital sources and global connections are reshaping how we share life stories. The value of a biography lies not in its adherence to a single, monolithic ‘truth’, but in its ability to offer an authentic, authoritative and empathetic exploration of a human life. Biography’s future given the emergence of AI.

In this episode of Biographers in Conversation, Shauna Bostock chats with Dr Gabriella Kelly-Davies about her choices while crafting Reaching Through Time: Finding My Family’s Stories. Here’s what you’ll discover in this episode: The shocking late-night phone Shauna Bostock received that ignited her determination to unearth her family’s true history. How Shauna traced over 200 years of her Indigenous family history amid scant and fragmented records. Shauna’s unique approach to storytelling: blending biography, history, memoir and oral storytelling. How Shauna balanced being a rigorous historian and a loving descendant. How Shauna alternated between close-up personal scenes and wide-angle historical context. Why Shauna Bostock sees her book as part of Australia’s broader truth-telling movement, an effort to openly acknowledge Indigenous history and the injustices of the past.

In this episode of Biographers in Conversation, Pulitzer Prize-winning art critic Sebastian Smee chats with Dr Gabriella Kelly-Davies about his choices while crafting Paris in Ruins: How Love, War and Art Gave Birth to Impressionism. Here’s what you’ll discover in this episode: How the chaos of war and revolution in 1870s Paris shaped the birth of Impressionism. Why the relationship between Édouard Manet and Berthe Morisot was central to the book and the Impressionist Movement. How Impressionism’s quick brushwork and light fixation reflect trauma, urgency and impermanence. Why Smee gives Berthe Morisot equal prominence and reinterprets her legacy in a male-dominated art world. What it means to write empathetic, narrative-driven biography while honouring archival truth. Why art made in crisis can speak across generations and offer hope, resistance and resilience.

In this episode of Biographers in Conversation, multi-award-winning biographer Dr Heather Clark chats with Dr Gabriella Kelly-Davies about her choices while crafting Red Comet: The Short Life and Blazing Art of Sylvia Plath. Here’s what you’ll discover in this episode: Why Heather Clark intentionally shifts the narrative away from Sylvia Plath’s tragic death to celebrate her vibrant life and literary achievements. Why Heather emphasises Sylvia Plath’s ambition, joy and creative courage as a young woman navigating the mid-20th-century’s literary culture. The challenge of navigating an avalanche of archival material to find the narrative thread in Plath’s life. How Heather balanced rigorous scholarship with the art of storytelling, giving Red Comet the propulsive narrative energy of a novel despite its scholarly depth. How Heather portrayed Plath’s inner life with empathy and honesty.   How Heather focuses on Plath’s literary significance, repositioning her among the most important writers of the 20th century. How by challenging one-dimensional stereotypes, Red Comet invites a new appreciation of Plath’s genius and legacy beyond the shadow of her death.

In this episode of Biographers in Conversation, award-winning political historian and biographer Dr Judith Brett chats with Dr Gabriella Kelly-Davies about her choices while crafting Fearless Beatrice Faust: Sex, Feminism and Body Politics. Here’s what you’ll discover in this episode: How Judith Brett discovered Beatrice Faust’s story. Why Judith was inspired to craft Fearless Beatrice Faust.  How Beatrice Faust captures a vivid chapter of Australia’s feminist history. How in 1972, Beatrice Faust founded the Women’s Electoral Lobby, empowering Australian women voters and challenging politicians to listen. The tension between Faust’s bold public crusades and the private struggles she concealed. Why Brett structured Fearless Beatrice Faust around themes instead of a timeline, complete with provocative chapter titles like ‘Becoming Notorious’ to highlight the recurring battles in Faust’s life. The psychological depth behind Faust’s fiery persona, from her rebellious intellect and fierce independence to the vulnerable moments that fuelled her passion. How Judith Brett balances her authorial voice with Beatrice’s unique voice to create a biography that’s both captivating and scholarly. Why Beatrice Faust’s fearless fight for women’s rights is as vital in 2025 as it was in 1972.

In this episode of Biographers in Conversation, Dr Charlotte Jacobs chats with Dr Gabriella Kelly-Davies about her choices while crafting 90 Seconds to Midnight: A Hiroshima Survivor’s Nuclear Odyssey. Here’s what you’ll discover in this episode:  Charlotte Jacobs’s inspiration for crafting 90 Seconds to Midnight. How Charlotte gained insights into Setsuko’s inner world. How Charlotte balanced Setsuko’s unique voice and perspective with her voice as the narrator. How Charlotte balanced Setsuko’s public and professional life with her human story. The meaning of 90 Seconds to Midnight and why Charlotte chose it. Why Charlotte opens the biography with a vivid, haunting prologue amid the ruins of Hiroshima, a gripping scene that shaped Setsuko’s lifelong activism. How Charlotte emphasised the urgency of Setsuko’s anti-nuclear warning in today’s geo-political environment. How Charlotte crafted lyrical, eloquent narrative that was also gripping. Charlotte’s thoughts on the role of a biographer.

In this episode of Biographers in Conversation, lawyer and author Sam Elkin chats with Dr Gabriella Kelly-Davies about his choices while crafting Detachable Penis: A Queer Legal Saga. Here’s what you’ll discover in this episode: Sam’s thought process behind structuring the memoir as a chronological legal saga intertwining his gender transition with pivotal moments in Australia’s LGBTQ+ rights movement. How he found a warm, conversational writing voice beyond his legal training, shedding formal jargon to connect with readers on a personal level. Why he infused dark humour into serious moments and how laughter helped him cope with pain while keeping the story human and relatable. The raw vulnerability he chose to share, from detailing gender-affirming surgeries to admitting moments of self-doubt. How Sam navigated tough ethical choices in sharing his story, balancing unvarnished honesty with respect for others’ privacy while weighing the risks of being so candid. Sam’s reflections on the double-edged sword of visibility as a trans man: how being seen can be empowering yet perilous and how he portrays that tension in Detachable Penis. How including stories from his community law work and marginalised queer folks broadened Detachable Penis into a portrait of activism, community struggles and hope. Insights into Sam’s writing journey: how he expanded short personal essays into a cohesive memoir. How Sam practised self-care during tough chapters and how the process deepened his self-understanding.

Nathan Hobby shares his choices while crafting The Red Witch; A Biography of Katharine Susannah Prichard. Here’s what you’ll discover: Katharine Susannah Prichard’s significance as a trailblazing Australian novelist and political figure who co-founded the Australian Communist Party How Pritchard’s ground-breaking novels reflected her social ideals Nathan’s extensive research process, from scouring archives to retracing Prichard’s footsteps The book’s structure and narrative style The difficulties of dealing with unreliable or biased source material The challenging decisions involved in narrowing the biographical scope given the trove of source material How Nathan used novelistic techniques to enliven the biography The role of a biographer.

In this episode of Biographers in Conversation, multi-award-winning biographer Megan Marshall chats with Dr Gabriella Kelly-Davies about her choices while crafting After Lives: On Biography and the Mysteries of the Human Heart. Here’s what you’ll discover in this episode: Why a renowned biographer turned the lens on herself, blending memoir with biography after decades of writing about other people. How writing about her partner’s illness and loss and heartbreak made Megan a more empathetic biographer. Megan’s bold decision to step out from behind the scenes and become a character in her own book. The touching reason Megan put her mother’s self-portrait on the cover.  How decades of exploring other people’s lives taught Megan surprising lessons about living her own life. What Megan means by ‘the mysteries of the human heart’ and why some questions about a life will always remain unanswered.

In this episode of Biographers in Conversation, multi-award-winning journalist and author Kate Legge chats with Dr Gabriella Kelly-Davies about her choices while crafting Kindred: A Cradle Mountain Love Story. Here’s what you’ll discover in this episode: The remarkable true love story of Gustav Weindorfer (an Austrian immigrant) and Kate Cowle (a trailblazing Tasmanian mountaineer), and how their shared passion for Cradle Mountain ignited one of Australia’s earliest conservation movements. How Legge braided biography, nature writing and love story to seamlessly intertwine Gustav and Kate’s romance with their love of Tasmania’s wilderness, making the landscape a vivid character in the narrative. How Kindred is structured, with each chapter covering a stage of Kate and Gustav’s journey. The novelistic storytelling techniques Legge used to bring history alive. Kate Legge’s reflections on humanity’s relationship with nature while crafting Kindred. The resonant parallels between the Weindorfers’ era and today, echoing contemporary themes of sustainability, women’s agency and equality. A moving epilogue to their story: in 2024, Kate’s ashes were finally laid to rest beside Gustav’s in Cradle Valley, reuniting them at last and underscoring the enduring legacy of their love and vision.

In this episode of Biographers in Conversation, eminent sociologist and author Dr Nikos Papastergiadis chats with Dr Gabriella Kelly-Davies about his choices while crafting John Berger and Me. Here’s what you’ll discover in this episode: How Nikos’s habit of writing from memory each morning during COVID lockdowns helped shape John Berger and Me.   The power of memory in storytelling and how writing purely from recollection unearthed unexpected links between John Berger’s life and Nikos’s. How Nikos wove his parents’ migrant journey from war-torn Greece into John Berger and Me.   Why Nikos blended biography with memoir: combining John’s story with his own allowed him to tell a richer, more personal tale. The responsibility of writing about a friend who’s no longer here. Nikos reveals how he portrayed John with honesty and love to honour his legacy. The creative choices behind the book’s structure, from balancing timelines and themes to weaving two life stories into one seamless narrative. How Nikos found the right narrative voice for John Berger and Me.  By choosing a warm, first-person style over a scholarly tone, he made the book feel personal and alive.

In this episode of Biographers in Conversation, 2025 National Biography Award winner Abbas El-Zein chats with Dr Gabriella Kelly-Davies about his choices while crafting Bullet, Paper, Rock. Here’s what you’ll discover in this episode: Why Abbas shared his story in a series of short snapshots instead of one continuous timeline. This unconventional structure mirrors the way our memories surface, in vivid, fragmented moments. How Abbas wove moments of humour and affection into a story set amid war and chaos, showing that everyday laughter and love can survive even in the darkest times. The inspiring role of his Abbas’s family, especially the women who found ways to weave hope into even the toughest times. Abbas reflects on how their quiet strength shaped his outlook and helped him endure the turmoil. How growing up fluent in Arabic and French, and later adopting English, shaped the way Abbas thinks and writes. He describes how each language brings out a different side of him, and how he brought that multicultural experience into Bullet, Paper, Rock. How Abbas researched historical details and sifted through personal memories. How Abbas coped with reliving painful moments and decided which stories to include. What it means to truly survive chaos and loss. From almost drowning in the sea to losing loved ones in war, Abbas reflects on how those experiences taught him about resilience and carrying grief forward. Abbas reflects on life in the Lebanese diaspora and how leaving his homeland shaped his perspective. He explains how years of living abroad, from Europe to Australia, gave him both clarity and longing when writing about where he came from. Abbas leaves us with a moving reflection on the power of memory and storytelling. He shares what he hopes readers and listeners will take away from his journey, reminding us that even amid loss and upheaval, hope and the human spirit endure in everyday life.

In this episode of Biographers in Conversation, historian and author Dr Yves Rees chats with Dr Gabriella Kelly-Davies about the choices they made while crafting Travelling to Tomorrow: The Modern Women Who Sparked Australia’s Romance with America. Here’s what you’ll discover in this episode: How a group of 10 pioneering women in the early 20th century dared to dream and defy convention by venturing into uncharted territories, breaking down barriers and shaping the cultural and intellectual landscape of both Australia and the US The evidence Yves Rees used to inform how they filled gaps in the historical record by speculating about the women’s inner lives and reasons for their decisions Why Yves weaved the women’s stories throughout the narrative rather than presenting them one by one or chronologically Yves’s belief that international relations involves much more than formal diplomacy between officials and nation states and that relations between nations are made in the realm of culture, travel and ideas How the 10 women influenced the relationship between Australia and America.

In this episode of Biographers in Conversation, Dr Anna Beer, the author of five acclaimed biographies and a Visiting Fellow at Kellogg College in Oxford, chats with Dr Gabriella Kelly-Davies about her choices while crafting Eve Bites Back: An Alternative History of English Literature. Eve Bites Back includes biographical sketches and reappraisals of eight talented female authors who lived, wrote and published between the 14th and 19th centuries. Here’s what you’ll discover in this episode: Why Anna Beer chose the title Eve Bites Back Why Anna opened Eve Bites Back with a feisty outline of the obstacles female authors have faced throughout history that have consigned them to literary silence Anna’s rigorous research strategy given that women were usually invisible in pre 20th century archives How the characters of the eight authors drove the plot of each biographical sketch and the shape of Eve Bites Back How Anna balanced life writing and literary analysis The literary devices Anna employed to craft captivating narrative How Anna balanced authenticity and authoritativeness with wittiness, irony, questioning and righteous indignation.

In this episode of Biographers in Conversation, the acclaimed historians Dr Henry Reynolds and Dr Nicholas Clements chat with Dr Gabriella Kelly-Davies about their choices while crafting Tongerlongeter: First Nations Leader and Tasmanian War Hero, the biography of the courageous Indigenous warrior, Tongerlongeter. Here’s what you’ll discover in this episode: Tongerlongeter’s story, like many Indigenous Australian narratives, has largely been erased from mainstream history Why sharing Tongerlongeter’s story is crucial and so relevant today Why Henry Reynolds and Nicholas Clements reframed early 19th-century Tasmanian history through a biographical lens Henry and Nicholas’s research strategy given that few archival records exist of Indigenous peoples’ lives in 19th-century Tasmania How Henry and Nicholas ensured Tongerlongeter’s voice and agency were central to the narrative The literary devices Henry and Nicholas employed to craft gripping narrative and create a graphic sense of place How Tongerlongeter challenged traditional narratives of Tasmanian Indigenous history Why deeply researched, revisionist accounts of a life and events are so vital in authentically portraying our nation’s history and the individuals who created that history

Patricia Meisol explores the life and legacy of Dr Helen Taussig, the pioneering mother of paediatric cardiology: How Helen Taussig exposed the dangers of thalidomide, helping to spark new U.S. drug safety legislation in the 1960s. Helen Taussig’s determination in overcoming personal challenges, including dyslexia and progressive hearing loss, to become a world leader in medicine. Patricia reflects on her decade-long research journey, including interviews with Taussig’s former students and colleagues, to bring authenticity and depth to the narrative. Patricia examines how Helen Meisol translated complex cardiology and medical science into an accessible and emotionally resonant biography. The sexism Helen Taussig faced in medicine, and how she fought for recognition and paved the way for future women doctors. Highlights Helen Taussig’s lifelong advocacy for patient rights, drug safety, and compassionate care—making her a model for medicine and justice today.

Award-winning biographer Jacqueline Kent returns to the podcast to discuss her latest work, coauthored with historian Tom Roberts, about the iconic transgender model and activist April Ashley. A Life Reimagined – Born George Jamieson in Liverpool, April Ashley transitioned in 1960 and became one of the first Britons to undergo gender-affirming surgery. Jacqueline explores April’s remarkable transformation with insight and compassion. The biography traces April’s journey from a tough childhood to the glamour of 1960s high society, detailing both her rise as a fashion icon and the tabloid fallout that followed her outing. Jacqueline shares what led her to co-write the biography with Tom Roberts and how they combined historical research with intimate narrative storytelling. Learn why the biography opens with April’s reflective 80th birthday visit to Liverpool and how the authors balanced chronology with thematic exploration. Jacqueline discusses April’s fierce advocacy for transgender rights and her lasting influence, culminating in honours like her 2012 MBE and the passing of the UK Equality Act in 2010. Jacqueline reflects on the ethical responsibilities of biographers writing about living memory. Jacqueline offers thoughtful insights into how biographers navigate memory, voice and truth while honouring their subject’s humanity and legacy.