Anne Summers is an author, journalist,editor, publisher and columnist.

The fact that I need to use five adjectives to accuratelydescribe her role in Australian writing culture speaks volumesabout Anne's impact, influence and ability. To my knowledge,she is the first guest of Penmanship to appearon an Australian postage stamp, as part of a seriescelebrating Australian legends in 2011. Her career began with the publication of anambitious and controversial book named DamnedWhores and God's Police in 1975. Anne has written eightbooks so far, but it's the updated 2016 edition of that first titlewhich brings her to Brisbane in late April for an event at AvidReader bookstore.

Before the 40th anniversary book launch at Avid, I met Anne ather hotel room in South Brisbane for a conversation which toucheson how she became a contributing writer to Australiannewspapers and radio while still a child; the difficult and lengthyprocess of writing Damned Whores and God's Police; how shemade the transition from journalism to working for a prime minister– twice! – in 1983 and 1992; what makes a great magazine profile,and how she decided to launch her online magazine Anne SummersReports after a disagreement with an editor at amajor Australian magazine.

Dr Anne Summers AOis a best-selling author and journalist with a long career inpolitics, the media, business and the non-government sector inAustralia, Europe and the United States. She is author ofeight books, including the classic Damned Whores and God’sPolice, first published in 1975. This bestseller was updatedin 1994 and, again, in 2002 and stayed continuously in print until2008. A new edition was published on International Women’s Day2016. In 1975 she became a journalist, first on TheNational Times, then in 1979 was appointed Canberra bureauchief for the Australian Financial Review andthen the paper’s North American editor. In 1987 in New Yorkshe was editor-in-chief of Ms. – America’slandmark feminist magazine – and the following year, with businesspartner Sandra Yatesbought Ms. and Sassy magazinesin the second only women-led management buyout in US corporatehistory. In November 2012 she beganpublishing Anne SummersReports, a lavish free digital magazine that promisesto be ‘Sane, Factual, Relevant’ and which reports on politics,social issues, art, architecture and other subjects not coveredadequately by the mainstream media. In September 2013, Annelaunched her series of Anne SummersConversations events with former primeminister JuliaGillard in front of a packed Sydney Opera House. In1989 she was made an Officer in the Order of Australia for herservices to journalism and to women. In 2011, along with threeother women, Anne was honoured as an Australian Legend with herimage placed on a postage stamp.

Show notes and links to what was discussed in this episode:http://penmanshippodcast.com/episode-23-anne-summers/

Anne Summers on Twitter: @SummersAnne

Penmanship on Twitter: @PenmanshipAU

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