Jessica Anderson Biography

Australian novelist and short-story writer, born in Brisbane. She spent several years in England but has lived mainly in Sydney where here first novel, An Ordinary Lunacy (1963), is set. The Last Man's Head (1970) is an unusual crime novel delivered in her characteristically laconic and ironic style. Her novels display her gift for psychological observation and social commentary. The Commandant (1975), a historical novel, concerns the life of Captain Patrick Logan, the commandant of the Moreton Bay penal settlement, but is written from a feminist angle. Tirra Lirra by the River (1978) focuses on an elderly woman who returns to her childhood home in Queensland after a long absence spent in Sydney and London. The Impersonators (1980; US title The Only Daughter) deals with the experiences of an Australian family. Taking Shelter (1990) is more experimental in its presentation of the central character's dreams and reflections. One of the Wattle Birds (1994) examines deception and the power of the past, through a woman who is haunted by questions about her mother. Stories from the Warm Zone and Sydney Stories appeared in 1987.