Jacqueline Frances Kent (born 1947) is an Australian journalist, biographer and non-fiction writer. She is also known as Jacquie Kent, the name she used when writing young adult fiction in the 1990s and sometimes writes as Frances Cook.

Career

Kent was born in Sydney in 1947 and later moved to Adelaide, returning to Sydney to a position with the

Australian Broadcasting Commission The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) is the national broadcaster of Australia. It is principally funded by direct grants from the Australian Government and is administered by a government-appointed board. The ABC is a publicly-owned ...

following graduation with an Arts degree. Kent wrote her first book, ''Out of the Bakelite Box: The Heyday of Australian Radio'', while working as a freelance editor. Published in 1983 by Angus & Robertson, it was described by Maurice Dunlevy in ''

The Canberra Times ''The Canberra Times'' is a daily newspaper in Canberra, Australia, which is published by Australian Community Media. It was founded in 1926, and has changed ownership and format several times. History ''The Canberra Times'' was launched in ...

'': "This popular social history of Australian radio after World War II is a classic piece of book journalism" and "a buzz from beginning to end". In 1985 she curated an exhibition called "On Air" for the National Film and Sound Archive. She was appointed to the judging panel for the National Short Story of the Year competition for 1984 and 1985. In 1985 she met

Kenneth Cook Kenneth Bernard Cook (5 May 1929 – 18 April 1987) was an Australian journalist, television documentary maker, and novelist best known for his works '' Wake in Fright'', which is still in print five decades after its first publication, and the h ...

, subject of her 2019 memoir, ''Beyond Words'', and author of ''

Wake in Fright ''Wake in Fright'' (initially released as ''Outback'' outside Australia) is a 1971 psychological thriller film directed by Ted Kotcheff, written by Evan Jones, and starring Gary Bond, Donald Pleasence, Chips Rafferty, Sylvia Kay and Jack Thomps ...

''. They married and were together until his sudden death in April 1987. Kent is a frequent contributor to and book reviewer for Australian publications, including '' Australian Book Review'', ''

Meanjin ''Meanjin'' (), formerly ''Meanjin Papers'' and ''Meanjin Quarterly'', is an Australian literary magazine. The name is derived from the Turrbal word for the spike of land where the city of Brisbane is located. It was founded in 1940 in Brisbane ...

'', ''

The Weekend Australian ''The Australian'', with its Saturday edition, ''The Weekend Australian'', is a broadsheet newspaper published by News Corp Australia since 14 July 1964.Bruns, Axel. "3.1. The active audience: Transforming journalism from gatekeeping to gatewat ...

'', ''

The Sydney Morning Herald ''The Sydney Morning Herald'' (''SMH'') is a daily compact newspaper published in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, and owned by Nine. Founded in 1831 as the ''Sydney Herald'', the ''Herald'' is the oldest continuously published newspaper ...

'' and ''

The Age ''The Age'' is a daily newspaper in Melbourne, Australia, that has been published since 1854. Owned and published by Nine Entertainment, ''The Age'' primarily serves Victoria, but copies also sell in Tasmania, the Australian Capital Territory ...

''. She has contributed five biographies to the Australian Dictionary of Biography. In 2007 Kent was awarded a Doctorate of Creative Arts from the

University of Technology Sydney The University of Technology Sydney (UTS) is a public research university located in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Although its origins are said to trace back to the 1830s, the university was founded in its current form in 1988. As of 2021 ...

for her thesis, "Artistry Under Oath: Biography and the life story of Hephzibah Menuhin". The following year it was published by Viking as ''An Exacting Heart''.

Awards and recognition

Book awards

*''A Certain Style'' **

National Biography Award The National Biography Award, established in Australia in 1996, is awarded for the best published work of biographical or autobiographical writing by an Australian. It aims "to encourage the highest standards of writing biography and autobiography ...

, winner, 2002 **

Nita Kibble Literary Award The Kibble Literary Awards comprise two awards—the Nita B Kibble Literary Award, which recognises the work of an established Australian female writer, and the Dobbie Literary Award, which is for a first published work by a female writer. The Awar ...

, winner, 2002 ** New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards Douglas Stewart Prize for Non-Fiction, shortlisted, 2002 *''An Exacting Heart'' **''The Age'' Book of the Year Award, Non-Fiction Prize, shortlisted, 2008 ** Queensland Premier's Literary Awards, Best Non-Fiction Book and Best History Book, shortlisted, 2008 ** Nita Kibble Literary Award, winner, 2009 ** New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards, Douglas Stewart Prize for Non-Fiction and Community Relations Commission Award, shortlisted, 2009 ** Festival Awards for Literature (SA), Award for Non-Fiction, shortlisted, 2010 ** The Australian Historical Association Awards, Magarey Medal for Biography, shortlisted, 2010 *''Beyond Words: A Year with Kenneth Cook'' ** National Biography Award, shortlisted, 2020

Fellowships

* Beatrice Davis Editorial Fellowship, 1994 *

Hazel Rowley Literary Fellowship The Hazel Rowley Literary Fellowship was set up in 2011 in memory of Hazel Rowley by her sister, Della Rowley and friends, in association with Writers Victoria Inc. The Fellowship was originally valued at AU$10,000, but was increased to AU$15,0 ...

** shortlisted, for a biography of

Robert Helpmann Sir Robert Murray Helpmann CBE ( Helpman, 9 April 1909 – 28 September 1986) was an Australian ballet dancer, actor, director, and choreographer. After early work in Australia he moved to Britain in 1932, where he joined the Vic-Wells Ballet ( ...

, 2016 ** winner, for a biography of

Vida Goldstein Vida Jane Mary Goldstein (pron. ) (13 April 186915 August 1949) was an Australian suffragist and social reformer. She was one of four female candidates at the 1903 federal election, the first at which women were eligible to stand. Goldstein wa ...

, 2018

Works

Biography and memoir

*''A Certain Style: Beatrice Davis, a Literary Life'', Viking, 2001 *''An Exacting Heart: The Story of Hephzibah Menuhin'', Viking, 2008 *''The Making of Julia Gillard'', Viking, 2009 *''Take Your Best Shot: The Prime Ministership of Julia Gillard'', Penguin, 2013 *''Beyond Words: A Year with Kenneth Cook'', University of Queensland Press, 2019 *''Vida: A Woman For Our Time'', Penguin, 2020

Non-fiction

*''Out of the Bakelite Box: The Heyday of Australian Radio'', Angus & Robertson, 1983 *''In the Half Light: Life as a Child in Australia 1900-1970'', Angus & Robertson, 1988

Young adult fiction

*''Angel Claws, I Love You'', Puffin, 1992 *''Heartbreak High'', 1998 *''Making Up, Breaking Up'', ABC Books, 1998 *''Love, Hate'', ABC Books, 1998 *''Secrets and Lies'', ABC Books, 1999 *''Tough Call'', ABC Books, 1999

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kent, Jacqueline 1947 births Living people Australian biographers Women biographers 20th-century Australian women writers