Penny Hanley

Penny Hanley holds a PhD in Communications from the University of Canberra (2009). She has taught creative writing and editing and is now a freelance writer and editor. As well as having had non-fiction and a novel (Full House, Simon and Schuster, 1993) published, eighteen of Penny’s short stories have appeared in national and international journals, and two stories were short-listed for prizes. Her latest book, Creative Lives: personal papers of Australian writers and artists, was published by the National Library in 2009. She lives in the inner north of Canberra with her family, two cats and three chooks.

Penny Hanley reviews 'Between the Leaves: Stories of Australian Women, Writing and Gardens' by Katie Holmes

July–August 2011, no. 333 • 29 June 2011

For historian Katie Holmes, researching and writing Between the Leaves was a journey of discovery and interpretation. In her examination of the records left by nine women – through their words and the signatures they left on the land – the author discovered some of the meanings that writing and gardening held for them. Holmes was also drawn to ways an individual’s story can illuminate a larg ... (read more)