Hannah Kent: The Good People

Hilary Harper and Hannah Kent

Since 2013, with the international success of her debut novel, Burial Rites, Hannah Kent’s name is often mentioned in the same breath as Hilary Mantel or Geraldine Brooks; masters of literary historical fiction. Burial Rites, about a woman executed for murder in Iceland in 1830, was translated into 20 languages and won a swag of prestigious awards, including the Sydney Morning Herald’s Best Young Australian Novelist Award.

As the co-founder and publishing director of Australian literary journal Kill Your Darlings, Kent has worked hard to champion the work of new literary voices and continues to do so. Geraldine Brooks mentored Kent through the development of the Burial Rites manuscript; now Kent mentors emerging writers herself.

This month sees the release of her second novel, The Good People. In the new book, Kent returns to the 1800s, and to the northern hemisphere. The action is set in south-western Ireland and is again inspired by a true story.

Join us for a conversation with one of Australia’s brightest literary stars. With Hilary Harper, Hannah discusses the revival of historical fiction, Australia’s literary landscape, the tangled politics of representation/characterisation and her fascination with troubled women in cold climes.