Hazel Joan Rowley (16 November 1951 – 1 March 2011) was a British-born Australian author and biographer. Born in

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

, Rowley emigrated with her parents to

Adelaide Adelaide ( ) is the capital city of South Australia, the state's largest city and the fifth-most populous city in Australia. "Adelaide" may refer to either Greater Adelaide (including the Adelaide Hills) or the Adelaide city centre. The dem ...

at the age of eight. She studied at the

University of Adelaide The University of Adelaide (informally Adelaide University) is a public research university located in Adelaide, South Australia. Established in 1874, it is the third-oldest university in Australia. The university's main campus is located on N ...

, graduating with Honours in French and German. Later she acquired a PhD in French. She taught literary studies at

Deakin University Deakin University is a public university in Victoria, Australia. Founded in 1974, the university was named after Alfred Deakin, the second Prime Minister of Australia. Its main campuses are in Melbourne's Burwood suburb, Geelong Waurn Ponds, ...

in Melbourne, before moving to the United States. Rowley's first published biography, of Australian novelist

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 me ...

, was critically acclaimed and won the National Book Council's "Banjo" Award for non-fiction in 1994.Bennie, Angela
Hazel Rowley: Intimate obsessions
''The Sydney Morning Herald'', 17 December 2005. It was shortlisted for the 1993

Colin Roderick Award The Colin Roderick Award is presented annually by the Foundation for Australian Literary Studies at Queensland's James Cook University for "the best book published in Australia which deals with any aspect of Australian life". It was first presente ...

. Her next biographical work was about the African American writer Richard Wright. Her best-known book, '' Tête-à-tête'' (2005), covers the lives of Simone de Beauvoir and

Jean-Paul Sartre Jean-Paul Charles Aymard Sartre (, ; ; 21 June 1905 – 15 April 1980) was one of the key figures in the philosophy of existentialism (and phenomenology), a French playwright, novelist, screenwriter, political activist, biographer, and lit ...

(de Beauvoir had been the subject of Rowley's PhD thesis). Her last published book is ''Franklin & Eleanor: An Extraordinary Marriage'', about

Franklin Franklin may refer to: People * Franklin (given name) * Franklin (surname) * Franklin (class), a member of a historical English social class Places Australia * Franklin, Tasmania, a township * Division of Franklin, federal electoral d ...

and

Eleanor Roosevelt Anna Eleanor Roosevelt () (October 11, 1884November 7, 1962) was an American political figure, diplomat, and activist. She was the first lady of the United States from 1933 to 1945, during her husband President Franklin D. Roosevelt's four ...

(2011).Romei, Stephen
Hazel Rowley gravely ill after stroke
''The Australian'', 28 February 2011. Rowley suffered a cerebral hemorrhage in New York in February 2011 and died there on 1 March, aged 59.

Legacy

The annual

Hazel Rowley Literary Fellowship The Hazel Rowley Literary Fellowship was set up in 2011 in memory of Hazel Rowley by her sister, Della Rowley and friends, in association with Writers Victoria Inc. The Fellowship was originally valued at AU$10,000, but was increased to AU$15,0 ...

was set up in her memory in 2011, with Mary Hoban the inaugural winner in 2012.

Bibliography

*''

: A Biography'' (1994) *'' Richard Wright: The Life and Times'' (2001) *'' Tête-à-tête: The Lives and Loves of Simone de Beauvoir &

'' (2005) *''

Eleanor Eleanor () is a feminine given name, originally from an Old French adaptation of the Old Provençal name ''Aliénor''. It is the name of a number of women of royalty and nobility in western Europe during the High Middle Ages. The name was introd ...

: An Extraordinary Marriage'' (2010)

References

External links

Hazel Rowley 1951–2011
''The Book Show'' (ABC Radio National) {{DEFAULTSORT:Rowley, Hazel 1951 births 2011 deaths Australian biographers Australian expatriates in the United States Academic staff of Deakin University English emigrants to Australia University of Adelaide alumni Writers from London 20th-century Australian women writers 20th-century Australian writers 20th-century biographers 21st-century Australian women writers 21st-century Australian writers 21st-century biographers Women biographers