Jennifer Rankin (born Jennifer Mary Haynes) (28 November 1941 – 8 December 1979) was an Australian
poet
A poet is a person who studies and creates poetry. Poets may describe themselves as such or be described as such by others. A poet may simply be the creator ( thinker, songwriter, writer, or author) who creates (composes) poems (oral or writte ...
and
playwright
A playwright or dramatist is a person who writes plays.
Etymology
The word "play" is from Middle English pleye, from Old English plæġ, pleġa, plæġa ("play, exercise; sport, game; drama, applause"). The word "wright" is an archaic English ...
Sydney
Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountain ...
and went to Ravenswood Methodist School. She then studied English and psychology at
University of Sydney
The University of Sydney (USYD), also known as Sydney University, or informally Sydney Uni, is a public research university located in Sydney, Australia. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in Australia and is one of the country's si ...
, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in 1962. At university, she was affiliated with the Downtown Push, "a loose group of artists, bohemians, and libertarians which included
Clive James
Clive James (born Vivian Leopold James; 7 October 1939 – 24 November 2019) was an Australian critic, journalist, broadcaster, writer and lyricist who lived and worked in the United Kingdom from 1962 until his death in 2019.Germaine Greer". She later completed a Diploma of Education at
UNE
Une is a municipality and town of Colombia in the Eastern Province, Cundinamarca, Eastern Province, part of the Departments of Colombia, department of Cundinamarca Department, Cundinamarca. The urban centre is located at an altitude of at a dista ...
in 1968. She worked mainly in education in Australia and
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
.
Writing
Her first surviving poems date from 1969, her first play, untitled, from 1973. Some of her plays, there are eight in all, were produced for stage and radio during her lifetime. She received an
Australia Council
The Australia Council for the Arts, commonly known as the Australia Council, is the country's official arts council, serving as an arts funding and advisory body for the Government of Australia. The council was announced in 1967 as the Austra ...
Senior Literary Fellowship in 1978 and had two books of poems published, the first, ''Ritual Shift'' was published in 1976. Her ''Collected Poems'' was edited posthumously by Judith Rodriguez and published in 1990.
*''Bees'' (1974)
*''Razorback Mountain Journey'' (1976)
*''Night Spaces''
*''Surfaces''
*''I Heard the Door Close''
*''A Steady Face''
*''Catwalk''
*''The Darling's Been Done''
Personal life and legacy
She was first married to John Roberts, having a son in 1965. After separating in 1966, she lived for a time with writer Frank Moorhouse. In 1969, she married painter David Rankin. She died in
Melbourne
Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...
from cancer on 8 November 1979. Her daughter with Rankin, Jessica, later became an artist. Jennifer Rankin Lane in Canberra is named in her honour.
University of New South Wales
The University of New South Wales (UNSW), also known as UNSW Sydney, is a public research university based in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It is one of the founding members of Group of Eight, a coalition of Australian research-intensive ...