Susan Varga | Writer
Susan Varga has worked in film and video and briefly as a lawyer. Her first book, Heddy and Me won the Christina Stead Award for non-fiction and was short-listed for several other awards. It was followed by the novel Happy Families, winner of the Vision Australia Talking Book of the Year and Braille Book of the Year. Then followed the non-fiction book Broometime (2001), co-authored with Anne Coombs. Her most recent novel was Headlong (UWA Press, 2009), which was short-listed for the Barbara Jefferis Award. Rupture (2016) is her first book of poetry, and was named in the Australian Book Review‘s ‘2016 Books of the Year’. Rupture was also commended in the 2017 Anne Elder Award.
NEW BOOK
Her new book Hard Joy, Life and Writing, was published in 2022 by Upswell.
‘Susan Varga’s distinctive memoir (including her taut but resonant poetry) comes over as an effortless blend of the epic and intimate, and easy to read – but was hard won. You finish with admiration both for the book and the writer.
Stephen Carroll
Susan has written reviews, essays and articles over the years in The Bulletin, the Australian Book Review and other magazines. Her recent essays have appeared in the Griffith Review.
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