Writers’ Panel

How are older women conventionally portrayed in literature?

Join authors Melanie Cheng (Australia Day), Donna Ward (She I Dare Not Name)  and Catherine Deveny for a discussion beyond harridans, hags and sad spinsters.

Chaired by Amanda Smith, ABC RN

Presented as part of Flesh After Fifty

Your safety is our priority

To ensure a safe and comfortable environment for everyone, we’ve made some changes to the way we operate. View our COVID safety measures here.

Respecting the Convent’s past

This event takes place in the Magdalen Laundry. The Convent was inscribed on the National Heritage List in August 2017, with the Magdalen Laundry and asylum buildings recognised as an important physical record for those Australians and their families known as the Forgotten Australians. We recognise and honour the thousands of girls and women placed in care at the Convent, including those who laboured in the onsite Magdalen Laundry. The harm of institutionalisation and the trauma experienced by many residents is acknowledged as part of the Convent’s heritage. The Magdalen Laundry provides a space for artists, audiences and communities to experience new practices, narratives and histories, while respecting the heritage and social history of these spaces.