Verna Susannah Coleman (née Scott; born 13 September 1925 – 4 November 2011) was an Australian biographer, whose work concentrated on neglected aspects of controversial expatriate literary and political figures.

Life and work

Verna Susannah Coleman was born in Sydney, the second daughter of Jack and Ruby Scott, and educated at

Our Lady of Mercy College, Parramatta , motto_translation = Under Your Protection , established = , type = Independent single-sex secondary day school , gender = Girls , denomination = Roman Catholicism , ...

and the

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 ...

. After graduating in Arts, she worked as a librarian in the

Mitchell Library The Mitchell Library is a large public library and centre of the City Council public library system of Glasgow, Scotland. History The library, based in the Charing Cross district, was initially established in Ingram Street in 1877 following a ...

and in the library of the University College, Canberra. She wrote literary reviews for various journals from 1950 to 2005, but her first biographical subject was novelist

Miles Franklin Stella Maria Sarah Miles Franklin (14 October 187919 September 1954), known as Miles Franklin, was an Australian writer and feminist who is best known for her novel ''My Brilliant Career'', published by Blackwoods of Edinburgh in 1901. While ...

, whom she had assisted as a young librarian in the Mitchell Library. ''Miles Franklin in America: Her Unknown (Brilliant) Career'' covered Franklin's political career with the feminist and union movements in Chicago. ''The Last Exquisite'' explored the life of the Australian expatriate poet and Great War novelist

Frederic Manning Frederic Manning (22 July 188222 February 1935) was an Australian poet and novelist. Biography Born in Sydney, Manning was one of eight children of local politician Sir William Patrick Manning. His family were Roman Catholics of Irish orig ...

, who left Sydney at the age of 21 to become a controversial literary figure in London. ''The Wayward Suffragette'' was a study of activist

Adela Pankhurst Adela Constantia Mary Walsh ( Pankhurst; 19 June 1885 – 23 May 1961) was a British born suffragette who worked as a political organiser for the WSPU in Scotland. In 1914 she moved to Australia where she continued her activism and was co-found ...

, daughter of suffragette leader

Emmeline Pankhurst Emmeline Pankhurst ('' née'' Goulden; 15 July 1858 – 14 June 1928) was an English political activist who organised the UK suffragette movement and helped women win the right to vote. In 1999, ''Time'' named her as one of the 100 Most Impo ...

, and is the only biography of this polarising figure, about whom it had been suggested that a biography could never be written. It follows her emigration to Australia, where she became prominent at both ends of the political spectrum, moving from the Communist Party to the far right Australia First movement. At the time of her death Verna Coleman was working on a study of the careers of the New Zealand writer

Katherine Mansfield Kathleen Mansfield Murry (née Beauchamp; 14 October 1888 – 9 January 1923) was a New Zealand writer, essayist and journalist, widely considered one of the most influential and important authors of the modernist movement. Her works are celebra ...

and Katherine's Sydney-born cousin,

Elizabeth von Arnim Elizabeth von Arnim (31 August 1866 – 9 February 1941), born Mary Annette Beauchamp, was an English novelist. Born in Australia, she married a German aristocrat, and her earliest works are set in Germany. Her first marriage made her Countess v ...

. Verna Coleman was married to writer and politician

Peter Coleman William Peter Coleman (15 December 1928 – 31 March 2019) was an Australian writer and politician. A widely published journalist for over 60 years, he was editor of '' The Bulletin'' (1964–1967) and of '' Quadrant'' for 20 years, and publi ...

, and had two daughters, Tanya, who became a lawyer and later wife of Deputy Liberal Leader

Peter Costello Peter Howard Costello (born 14 August 1957) is an Australian businessman, lawyer and former politician who served as the treasurer of Australia in government of John Howard from 1996 to 2007. He is the longest-serving treasurer in Australia' ...

, Ursula, a children's writer, and a son William, who is an economist.

Biographies

''Her Unknown (Brilliant) Career: Miles Franklin in America'' (1981)

Angus and Robertson Angus & Robertson (A&R) is a major Australian bookseller, publisher and printer. As book publishers, A&R has contributed substantially to the promotion and development of Australian literature.Alison, Jennifer (2001). "Publishers and editors: A ...

, Sydney. , 9780207145360 ''The Last Exquisite: A Portrait of Frederic Manning'' (1990)

Melbourne University Press Melbourne University Publishing (MUP) is the book publishing arm of the University of Melbourne. History MUP was founded in 1922 as Melbourne University Press to sell text books and stationery to students, and soon began publishing books itself. ...

, Melbourne. , 9780522843705 ''Adela Pankhurst: The Wayward Suffragette 1885–1961'' (1996)

, Melbourne. , 978-0522847284

Other biographical and critical writings

"Walsh, Adela Constantia Mary Pankhurst (1885–1961)" (2004) ''

The Oxford Dictionary of National Biography The ''Dictionary of National Biography'' (''DNB'') is a standard work of reference on notable figures from British history, published since 1885. The updated ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'' (''ODNB'') was published on 23 September ...

Oxford University Press Oxford University Press (OUP) is the university press of the University of Oxford. It is the largest university press in the world, and its printing history dates back to the 1480s. Having been officially granted the legal right to print books ...

, United Kingdom. Foreword (1981) ''My career goes bung : purporting to be the autobiography of Sybilla Penelope Melvyn Miles Franklin'' by Miles Frankin

Virago Modern Classics A virago is a woman who demonstrates abundant masculine virtues. The word comes from the Latin word ''virāgō'' (genitive virāginis) meaning vigorous' from ''vir'' meaning "man" or "man-like" (cf. virile and virtue) to which the suffix ''-āg ...

, London. "Portrait of the artist as a young girl" on the Australian writer

Amy Witting Amy Witting (26 January 1918 – 18 September 2001) was the pen name of an Australian novelist and poet born Joan Austral Fraser. She was widely acknowledged as one of Australia's "finest fiction writers, whose work was full of the atmosphere an ...

, '' Quadrant'', Sydney, 1990, Vol. 34 No. 263, pp. 110–111 ''The Good Reading Guide: 100 Critics review contemporary Australian fiction'' (1989) Helen Daniel (editor)

McPhee Gribble McPhee Gribble was a Australian publishing firm, based in Carlton, Victoria. It became an imprint of the Penguin Group. History Founded by Di Gribble and Hilary McPhee in 1975 McPhee Gribble was the initial publisher of works by significant Au ...

, Melbourne. , 9780869141670 entries on

Jessica Andersen Jessica S. Andersen (born 1973) is an American writer. Since 2001, she has published over forty books in romance, mystery and science genres. Andersen holds a PhD in Genetics from Tufts University. Biography Born in 1973, Andersen was born and ...

Janette Turner Hospital Janette Turner Hospital (née Turner) (born 1942) is an Australian-born novelist and short story writer who has lived most of her adult life in Canada or the United States, principally Boston (Massachusetts), Kingston (Ontario) and Columbia (South ...

Barry Humphries John Barry Humphries (born 17 February 1934) is an Australian comedian, actor, author and satirist. He is best known for writing and playing his on-stage and television alter egos Dame Edna Everage and Sir Les Patterson. He is also a film prod ...

, George Johnston,

Christopher Koch Christopher John Koch AO (16 July 1932 – 23 September 2013) was an Australian novelist, known for his 1978 novel '' The Year of Living Dangerously'', which was adapted into an award-winning film. He twice won the Miles Franklin Award (for ' ...

Morris Lurie Moses "Morris" Lurie (30 October 19388 October 2014) was an Australian writer of comic novels, short stories, essays, plays, and children's books. His work focused on the comic mishaps of Jewish-Australian men (often writers) of Lurie's generati ...

, Peter Shrubb,

Christina Stead Christina Stead (17 July 190231 March 1983) was an Australian novelist and short-story writer acclaimed for her satirical wit and penetrating psychological characterisations. Christina Stead was a committed Marxist, although she was never a mem ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Coleman, Verna Susannah 1925 births 2011 deaths Australian biographers Australian women writers University of Sydney alumni Australian women biographers Writers from Sydney Australian librarians Australian women librarians