In this episode of Biographers in Conversation, the musician and author Dr Jillian Graham chats with Dr Gabriella Kelly-Davies about her choices while crafting Inner Song. A Biography of Margaret Sutherland, the life story of the ‘Grand Old Lady of Classical Music.’
Here’s what you’ll discover in this episode:
- Margeret Sutherland was a child prodigy, composer, pianist and teacher. She composed more than 200 works and was an influential champion of both contemporary and Australian music
- Margaret Sutherland’s role in Australia’s cultural history and why she still matters, 40 years after her death
- How Jillian Graham narrowed the biographical scope given the avalanche of evidence she sourced during her painstaking research
- How Margaret’s character drove the plot of Inner Song
- How Jillian balanced Margaret’s voice and perspective and her voice as the narrator
- How Jillian balanced Margaret’s public persona and professional accomplishments with her human story
- How Jillian reconciled conflicting opinions about Margaret Sutherland
- Why it was so vital to bring Margaret Sutherland’s story to a new generation of readers and music lovers.
