Crime pays. Or it did for Australian fiction writers when reading was a major form of entertainment. From the colonial era, local magazines and newspapers employed crime writers whose work was often published in serial form.
Eileen Davitt, Mary H Fortune, aka Waif Wanderer, and other colonial lady writers abandoned genteel romance and fluffy kittens to explore the darker side of human nature.
In the late Victorian and Edwardian eras, Australian expatriate Guy Boothby made a fortune with his Dr Nikola series and other thrillers. His start came from publication in the UK’s Windsor magazine.
A few years later, Adelaide’s Arthur Gask was writing murder mysteries in between patients at his North Terrace dental practice. This led to a long career as a popular detective writer. Several of his novels were published episodically in newspapers.
Explore the work of these and other writers with an Australian connection to serial crime.
We will watch a recording of the talk orginally presented by Isabel Story, Engagement Librarian at the State Library South Australia on 17 September 2024.
Serial Thrillers | State Library of South Australia (slsa.sa.gov.au)
This talk is part of our Stories from the Stacks Series.
Tea & Coffee will be available
Suitable for adults
Bookings are preferred
For more information please call
Willunga Library 8384 0006
Aldinga Library 8384 0022
Please follow accepted hygiene measures including sanitising hands when entering the building and staying home if you are unwell.
By attending this event you consent for you, and any persons you are responsible for, being photographed and/or filmed and agree that the City of Onkaparinga and other organisations may use the resulting photographs and film for promotional purposes, including by publishing them in print and other media. Please see one of our event staff if you do not wish to be photographed or filmed.
