On Beverley Farmer

Josephine Rowe has twice been named a Sydney Morning Herald Best Young Novelist (in 2017 and 2020) and was awarded the 2016 ABR Elizabeth Jolley Prize. Her story collection Here Until August was shortlisted for the Stella Prize, while her novel, A Loving, Faithful Animal, was longlisted for the Miles Franklin Literary Award. Rowe has held fellowships with the University of Iowa, Stanford, the Omi International Arts Center and Yaddo. She lives in Melbourne.

'Across Farmer's works, there has always been an attraction to those beings who occupy two realms â¿¿ Once one has lived elsewhere, lived differently, it doesn't matter whether she stays to forge a new life or turns back towards the old, or moves on once again; there will always be the shadow, the after-image, of the life not lived.' Beverley Farmer's writing reflects on restlessness, desire and homecoming. In this brilliantly acute essay, fellow novelist and short-story writer Josephine Rowe finds a kindred spirit and argues for a celebration and reclamation of this unique Australian author. In the Writers on Writers series, leading authors reflect on an Australian writer who has inspired and fascinated them. Provocative and well-written, these books start a fresh conversation between past and present, shed new light on the craft of writing, and introduce some intriguing and talented authors and their work. Published by Black Inc. in association with the University of Melbourne and State Library Victoria.