Episode 23: Anne Summers

Anne Summers is an author, journalist,
editor, publisher and columnist.

The fact that I need to use five adjectives to accurately
describe her role in Australian writing culture speaks volumes
about Anne's impact, influence and ability. To my knowledge,
she is the first guest of Penmanship to appear
on an Australian postage stamp, as part of a series
celebrating Australian legends
in 2011. Her career began with the publication of an
ambitious and controversial book named Damned
Whores and God's Police in 1975. Anne has written eight
books so far, but it's the updated 2016 edition of that first title
which brings her to Brisbane in late April for an event at Avid
Reader bookstore.

Before the 40th anniversary book launch at Avid, I met Anne at
her hotel room in South Brisbane for a conversation which touches
on how she became a contributing writer to Australian
newspapers and radio while still a child; the difficult and lengthy
process of writing Damned Whores and God's Police; how she
made the transition from journalism to working for a prime minister
– twice! – in 1983 and 1992; what makes a great magazine profile,
and how she decided to launch her online magazine Anne Summers
Reports after a disagreement with an editor at a
major Australian magazine.

Dr Anne Summers AO
is a best-selling author and journalist with a long career in
politics, the media, business and the non-government sector in
Australia, Europe and the United States. She is author of
eight books, including the classic Damned Whores and God’s
Police, first published in 1975. This bestseller was updated
in 1994 and, again, in 2002 and stayed continuously in print until
2008. A new edition was published on International Women’s Day
2016. In 1975 she became a journalist, first on The
National Times, then in 1979 was appointed Canberra bureau
chief for the Australian Financial Review and
then the paper’s North American editor. In 1987 in New York
she was editor-in-chief of Ms. – America’s
landmark feminist magazine – and the following year, with business
partner Sandra Yates
bought Ms. and Sassy magazines
in the second only women-led management buyout in US corporate
history. In November 2012 she began
publishing Anne Summers
Reports, a lavish free digital magazine that promises
to be ‘Sane, Factual, Relevant’ and which reports on politics,
social issues, art, architecture and other subjects not covered
adequately by the mainstream media. In September 2013, Anne
launched her series of Anne Summers
Conversations events with former prime
minister Julia
Gillard in front of a packed Sydney Opera House. In
1989 she was made an Officer in the Order of Australia for her
services to journalism and to women. In 2011, along with three
other women, Anne was honoured as an Australian Legend with her
image placed on a postage stamp.

Show notes and links to what was discussed in this episode:
http://penmanshippodcast.com/episode-23-anne-summers/

Anne Summers on Twitter: @SummersAnne

Penmanship on Twitter: @PenmanshipAU

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