The Shelf Life of Zora Cross presented by Cathy Perkins

The next Monthly meeting will be held as a Zoom presentation on Saturday 2 October.

The Shelf Life of Zora Cross presented by Cathy Perkins

Australian poet and journalist Zora Cross caused a sensation in 1917 with her book Songs of Love and Life. Zora was a young woman who looked like a Sunday school teacher, celebrating passion in a provocative series of sonnets. She was hailed as a genius, and many expected her to endure as a household name alongside Shakespeare and Rossetti.

While Zora’s fame didn’t last, she kept writing through financial hardship, personal tragedies and two world wars, producing an impressive body of work. Her verse, prose and correspondence with the likes of Ethel Turner, George Robertson (of Angus & Robertson) and Mary Gilmore place Zora Cross among the key personalities of Australia’s literary world in the early twentieth century.

Hear about Cathy’s process in writing the biography, including her friendship with Zora Cross’s daughter April, who lived on the family’s Glenbrook property from soon after her birth in 1924 until she died last year at the age of 96.

Cathy Perkins is a writer  and editor who lives in Sydney. Her first book The Shelf Life of Zora Cross was shortlisted for the Australian History Prize of the 2020 NSW Premier’s Literary Awards. Cathy edits Openbook magazine and other publications at the State Library of NSW.

We are grateful that Cathy has agreed to present via Zoom as our COVID 19 restrictions continue.

Below is the general invitation to the Zoom meeting to watch the presentation from home..

You will need to download Zoom on to your computer or other device.
The link below will take you to the meeting. The start time is 10.15 am (to allow for some administration tasks ) with the meeting officially beginning at 10.30.

Please be aware that all Zoom participants will be able to converse together before the beginning of the meeting but we will mute all participants as the presentation begins. This is to avoid problems with participants not realising they are live on air and chatting etc which can affect the sound quality of the presentation. If you are have any questions during the presentation please use the CHAT function to email your questions which the speaker will address at the conclusion of her presentation.

bluemountains historicalsociety is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.

Topic: Blue Mountains Historical Society Monthly Meeting 2 October 2021

Time: Oct 2, 2021 10:15 AM for 10.30 AM Canberra, Melbourne, Sydney

Join Zoom Meeting

https://zoom.us/j/99093574268?pwd=SXJFRVgzUVA0QXI2Z2VDeTRtODIrQT09

Meeting ID: 990 9357 4268

Passcode: 403053