S4 Ep 21 Rebellious Rural Writer
Episode description
Fleur McDonald is one of Australia’s leading authors in rural literature and storytelling. Fleur is a prolific writer and to date has published 16 novels, while still living on a working farm.
We talk about courageous characters in her novels and find out whether there is a hint of Fleur in any of the rural heroines we read about. We don’t just talk books though. We dive into Fleur cutting her teeth working the land, firstly as a jillaroo, then what it’s like to live in a remote environment and raise a family with children who needed a lot of early health interventions. We also have an important chat about domestic violence and how it relates to rural living.
Duration: 32 min
We talk about:
· Life growing up in rural and isolated Australian landscapes
· Life as a jillaroo and female farmer
· Raising children with special needs
Living in a rural landscape without running water, electricity and basic amenities
· Anxiety
· Access to mental health services in rural Australia
· Domestic Violence
· The organisation DV Assist
· Courageous female characters in Fleur’s novels
· Courage to be kind
Contact Fleur
Website: https://www.fleurmcdonald.com/
Fleur’s novels: Novels – Fleur McDonald
DV assist: https://dvassist.org.au/ (Rural domestic violence assistance)
Social Media Handles
Facebook:@FleurMcDonaldAuthor
Instagram: fleurmcdonald
Interview: Sana Turnock
Produced and edited by: Sana Turnock
Audio mastering: Woods Media Lab
Copyright-free music credits: Apolllo - Patrick Patrikios