For the June Murder Monday, Sisters in Crime’s Jacq Ellem spoke to award-winning Melbourne author, Maryrose Cuskelly.
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Maryrose Cuskelly writes both fiction and non-fiction. She was born in North Queensland, where, in the early 1970s, there were several high-profile child abductions and murders. In 2016, Maryrose was awarded the New England Thunderbolt Prize for Crime Writing (non-fiction) for her essay “Well Before Dark” about Marilyn’s disappearance and the way it percolated through her own childhood and later life.
The Cane, published in 2022 by Allen & Unwin, returns to some of the themes and preoccupations of that essay. The Cane was a bestseller and shortlisted for best debut in the 2023 Davitt Awards. It doesn’t strike one wrong note when it comes to historical accuracy.
Maryrose’s other books include Wedderburn: A true tale of blood and dust (Allen & Unwin, 2018); Original Skin: Exploring the marvels of the human hide (Scribe, 2010); and The End of Charity: Time for social enterprise (with Nic Frances, Allen & Unwin, 2008), which was the winner of the Iremonger Award.
She has twice been awarded fellowships at Varuna, the National Writers’ House, most recently for her novel The Campers.
More info here.
Murder Monday interviews are available on Sisters in Crime’s YouTube channel at 6 pm once a month on a Monday.