It's the power of 'language'

 

“Ithink with all my books, language has been their subject as much as anythingelse. Language can elide or displace or sideline whole groups of people. Youcan't necessarily change the way language is used, but if it becomes somethingyou're conscious of... that gives you a certain power over it.” –Kate Grenville

 

Bornin Australia in October of 1950, Grenville has authored 15 books – includingfiction, non-fiction, biography and books about the writingprocess.  Winner of both the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize andBritain’s prestigious Orange Prize, she has had her works publishedworldwide.  Her most recent novel is 2023’s Restless Dolly Maunder,winner of Australia’s Prime Minister Award (2024) for Literary Fiction.

 

Grenville’swriting career started in film before she wrote a collection of highly regardedshort stories in the early 1980s.  Her 1985 novel Lilian’sStory established her reputation as one of Australia’s best fictionwriters.  That multiple award-winning book also was made into asuccessful movie. 

 

Inthe 2000s, Grenville has explored Australia’s colonial past and relationshipsamong its peoples in her acclaimed books The Secret River, TheLieutenant and Sarah Thornhill.  A teacher ofwriting, too, Grenville has written or co-written several widely used booksabout the writing process.  

 

“Ilove music, too,” Grenville said, “and I think there's probably no coincidencethere, that the rhythm of the words is almost as important as the wordsthemselves.   And when you can get thetwo working together, which usually takes me about 20 goes, I feel a hugesatisfaction.”