Sisters in Crime is mourning the death in Melbourne of Kerry Greenwood, founding member and beloved friend and author, at the age of 70.
Kerry died on 26 March. Her funeral was held yesterday in Yarraville with a wake in nearby Seddon. Her coffin was draped with native flowers and a Bulldogs scarf. Kerry was not a huge fan of football per se but loved the local western suburbs’ football team.
Kerry’s life partner, ‘registered wizard’ David Greagg, announced this morning (7 April) that he had kept Kerry’s death a secret, save for close friends and family.
“Kerry was an extremely private person and had no wish to share her pain with anyone. I told everyone after the wake that they could now post anything they liked, and they have done so. So I will stay silent no longer. Yes, she has gone. But she lives on in her books, and in our hearts,” he wrote on Kerry’s Facebook page.
Hundreds and hundreds of tributes have poured in since then.
Kerry became a founding member of Sisters in Crime when we launched the organisation at the Melbourne Feminist Book Fortnight on 22 September 1991. She starred in a debate entitled “Feminist Crime Fiction: Confronting the Hard-boiled Head On”. (See left.)
At that point, there were hardly any Australian women crime writers and Kerry was a towering figure in the women’s crime world because she already had not one but had three (!!) Phryne Fisher novels under her belt.
Since then, her prodigious output has included over 60 novels plus plays and non-fiction works, including 23 Miss Fisher novels and seven in her delicious Corinna Chapman baker sleuth series. Much of this was accomplished whilst working as a legal aid barrister.
Kerry notched up three Davitt Readers’ Choice awards – in 2010 for Forbidden Fruit, in 2007 for Devil’s Food (jointly with Karen Kissane) and in 2006, (for Heavenly Pleasures jointly with Leigh Redhead). Her crime novel, The Three-Pronged Dagger, won the Davitt Award (Best Young Fiction Book) in 2002.
In 2013, Kerry became the inaugural winner of Sisters in Crime’s Lifetime Achievement Award and remains the only one accorded such an honour. She also won the Ned Kelly Award for Crime Writing, Lifetime Contribution in 2003. Kerry was awarded an OAM in 2020.
Kerry gained even more fans – and fans from all over the world – when Every Cloud Productions produced three series of Miss Fishers Murder Mysteries during 2012-2015 and then, in 2020, a movie, Miss Fisher & the Crypt of Tears, all starring Essie Davis.
Sisters in Crime booked out a 98-seat theatre at Yarraville’s Sun Theatre for a special screening of the film. The event sold out and no wonder! Fans came from far and wide – from Adelaide to Portland and South Carolina in the USA. Many ‘frocked up for Phryne’, appearing in wonderful twenties outfits. We were joined by several members of the Adventuresses’ Club of the Americas, the fan organisation that runs the Miss Fisher Conventions.
The exquisite costumes worn by Essie were mostly designed by Marion Boyce. The National Trust exhibited them at the Rippon Lea Mansion for months at a time, raising much needed funds. They toured Australia.
Kerry was an outstanding mentor to many emerging women crime writers and from 2000 sponsored the Malice Domestic Award in Sisters in Crime’s Scarlet Stiletto short story competition. David has assured Sisters in Crime that the sponsorship will continue.
Sue Turnbull, Emma Viskic & Kerry Greenwood, 2013 Davitt Awards
Sue Turnbull, Sisters in Crimes’ Ambassador, crime reviewer and Senior Professor (just retired) from the University of Wollongong, said today: “Kerry Greenwood was a rare talent. Her love of history, her fierce feminist politics, her acute observations of people and place were evident in everything she wrote, as well as her wicked sense of humour. She has given us so much, but she herself is irreplaceable. We will miss her enormously.”
Sisters in Crime’s Vice-president, Lindy Cameron, has known Kerry since the founding debate and they became firm friends. For the last decade Lindy has assisted Kerry with her correspondence, travelling most Thursdays from Bittern on the Mornington Peninsula to Kerry’s ramshackle cottage in Seddon, allegedly held together by “books and spells, or possibly blind faith”, according to David.
“Through my weekly visits with Kerry to help with her emails, I can vouch that her fans world-wide hailed and thanked Kerry, and her books, for ‘saving their lives with joy, inspiration and comfort’, especially during Covid. Kerry was my beloved friend, with whom I spent many hours talking books and writing, and watching re-runs of NCIS and CSI. She was also my mentor whose body of work was inspirational, whose faith in me was boundless, and whose encouragement will keep ringing in my heart.
“In this last I know I was not alone, as Kerry’s generosity of spirit for new, emerging and established writers was heartfelt and inclusive. In 2010, I started an independent publishing house, Clan Destine Press, quite specifically because I thought it was so very wrong that Kerry’s ancient Greek novel Medea was not available any more. She gave me permission to re-publish it, and its sequels Cassandra and Electra; and to launch CDP with her previously-unpublished Ancient Egyptian novel Out of the Black Land. I am deeply honoured to have been Kerry’s friend and will miss her more than I can say.”
Lucy Sussex, long-time author member, said: “Kerry touched many people, not least by being a legal eagle in the criminal justice system. These gave her many fascinating anecdotes, one I shamelessly adapted into a short story, earning second prize in a competition.
“In person she was a live wire, kind, generous and whip-smart with a strong sense of justice (read the books). One of my favourite Kerry moments was when I organised a memorial to be put on the Geelong grave of Ellen Davitt, pioneer crime writer (and Trollope relative by marriage). Kerry took her mum to the ceremony, and was the only person who thought to bring flowers. She had a great spirit, and did good with her life.”
Fiona Eagger and Deb Cox from Every Cloud Productions, said that Kerry “was our friend, inspiration, and the kindest and most supportive human we have worked with. We will miss her terribly and are forever grateful to have been trusted with her wonderful novels and to have had the honour of bringing the brilliant world she created to the screen. Her legacy will live on – we need to be brave like Phryne and in Kerry’s words – ‘go fly my pretty’s’.”
Actor Essie Davis (left) posted, “Our Darling Kerry. What a gift. My heartfelt condolences to dear David. Kerry gifted us one of the most powerful and positive and inspiring heroines in Phryne Fisher. She has rescued and empowered so many people. I’m so grateful Kerry chose me to embody her. What a blessing. Kerry’s spunk and flare and research and moral compass. A great fun and fabulous guide to life.”
Sisters in Crime member, Katherine Kovacic, wrote: “Heartbroken to hear Kerry Greenwood had died. I was very privileged to be part of the TV adaptations of her vivid, intelligent, compassionate novels. And to meet her, laugh, talk, discover her in person-utter joy. Wishing David and all her beloved Miss Fisher actors and fans long and fulfilled lives. Thank you for the joy.Having Kerry’s blessing to write the Ms Fisher Modern book, Just Murdered, was such a huge honour from an author I admired so much. ”
On March 18, in her last Facebook post, Kerry shared an update about her latest writing project. “Murder in the Cathedral (the newest Phryne) is undergoing transformation from an extensively edited Word file into proper pages. This is a slow process, involving mysterious alchemy, scattering of rose petals, muttered incantations and the like, but it progresses,” she wrote.
Murder in the Cathedral is coming out in November with Allen & Unwin. Annette Barlow, the publisher’s representative, said yesterday that Kerry’s books had sold 700,000 copies in Australia and an equal number overseas.
Sisters in Crime is planning a celebration of Kerry Greenwood’s life.
Meanwhile, if you’d like to see Kerry talking about her life and the craft of writing, go to Murder Monday https://sistersincrime.org.au/kerry-greenwood-award-winning-author-barrister-baker/#more-8259
You can send tributes about Kerry Greenwood to admin@sistersincrime.org.au. They will be added to the bottom of this post.
More info: Carmel Shute, National Co-convenor, Sisters in Crime 0412 569 356; admin@sistersincrime.org.au
Tributes:
Sue Hines (former editor at McPhee Gribble): Yes, so very sad, and way too young. (With tremors of my own mortality as she was three months older than me.) Kerry was brave and loyal, generous, forthright, and feisty, but more than all that she was overwhelmingly smart. I have always had a soft spot for Phryne having been there at her birth and I would be pleased to help celebrate Kerry’s rich creativity and artistically bountiful life. Hugs to you and all the Sisters in Crime who have lost a much loved member of the tribe.
Sandi Wallace (author & member of Sisters in Crime): Vale to Kerry Greenwood, Australian crime fiction queen. So talented, supportive, much loved and respected and a true inspiration, you touched so many people in many ways. You will live on through your books and our memories, Kerry, and you will be greatly missed. My heart goes to all grieving for Kerry.
Josephine Pennicott (author and Sisters in Crime member): One of the highlights of my writing career was being presented with my second Sisters in Crime stiletto shoe by Kerry. She was a big inspiration to me for her mysteries set in Australia and her style. She had even more style than her sassy creation, Phryne Fisher. On the night she gave me some much-needed words of encouragement. I was also fortunate to benefit from her generous sponsorship of the Domestic Malice Prize, which I won in 2003 and 2004. Kerry epitomised the best of boho Melbourne.
Condolences to all who knew, loved and will always cherish Kerry. Especially to her long-term soulmate David Greagg and the Sisters in Crime close to her.
Susan Moir (Executive Manager, Commercial National Trust of Australia, Victoria): We are devastated to hear about the passing of Kerry – her books have had such a huge impact on Australian female crime writing and for the NTAV who were blessed enough to have such a strong connection with Kerry’s writing through its properties [especially Rippon Lea Mansion where Phryne’s costumes were exhibited for months.]
Marele Day (author and Sisters in Crime member): I was shocked and saddened to hear of Kerry’s death. Such a shining light and enduring presence in Australian crime fiction. She gave much joy and will be personally remembered for her kindness and generosity as well as her panache and passion. Vale dear Kerry. You will live on in your writing and in the immortality of Phryne, Corinna, and all the other wonderful characters you created.
Meyer Eidelson (Melbourne Walks): Kerry was a giant in Melbourne’s literary landscape and a personal inspiration to aspiring writers. Her colourful and unorthodox characters were often set in real locations from the Melbourne CBD to St Kilda, Daylesford and beyond. She was a marvellous student not just of the Melbourne personality but also the city’s history, architecture, and social fabric.