3-085-973 - The Print Collector/Heritage Images

Writers of the Day: No. XXXVIII. - Mrs. Campbell Praed, 1898. 'Mrs. Campbell Praed, whose new novel, "The Scourge-Stick," is reviewed in these columns, was born in Queensland...Her first novel, "An Australian Heroine," appeared in 1880'. Campbell Praed, "the first Australian-born novelist to achieve a significant international reputation", lived on a cattle station on Curtis Island before moving to England. After separating from her husband, she lived for more than thirty years with a medium named Nancy Harward and developed an interest in reincarnation, spiritualism, and the occult. About half of Praed's novels are set in Australia or have an Australian connection. She wrote romances that contrasted Australian and English culture and values, as well as exploring the treatment of Aboriginal Australians and the women's experiences in the Australian bush. Praed's writing often featured unhappy wives and reluctant brides, and explored the mistreatment of women in marriage. Her writing was at times controversial due to her ambivalent portrayal of marriage and her depictions of taboo topics including spousal abuse, marital rape, and divorce. Her later work drew on her interest in theosophy and reincarnation, and often featured supernatural themes. From "Illustrated London News", 1898.