Diana Mary Gribble (13 April 19424 October 2011) was an Australian publisher, book editor and businessperson. A

feminist Feminism is a range of socio-political movements and ideology, ideologies that aim to define and establish the political, economic, personal, and social gender equality, equality of the sexes. Feminism holds the position that modern soci ...

, Gribble was one of the most influential figures in the Australian publishing scene and wider cultural life between 1975 and 2010.

Biography

Gribble was born in

Melbourne Melbourne ( , ; Boonwurrung language, Boonwurrung/ or ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city of the States and territories of Australia, Australian state of Victori ...

, Australia, the daughter of Sir Archibald Glenn and Betty Balderstone. Educated at

Fintona Girls' School Fintona Girls' School is a small, independent, non-denominational, day school for girls, located in Balwyn, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Established in 1896, Fintona is a non-selective school and currently caters for approximately 600 st ...

, she began studying architecture at the

University of Melbourne The University of Melbourne (colloquially known as Melbourne University) is a public university, public research university located in Melbourne, Australia. Founded in 1853, it is Australia's second oldest university and the oldest in the state ...

, where she met

Hilary McPhee Hilary Jane McPhee (born 1941) is an Australian writer and editor. She was awarded an Order of Australia for service to the Arts in 2003. Biography McPhee was born in 1941. She is a graduate of the University of Melbourne. She was a foundi ...

. In 1975, McPhee and Gribble co-founded

McPhee Gribble McPhee Gribble was an Australian independent 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 ...

, an Australian publishing house that was the first publisher of numerous well-known Australian authors, including Glen Tomasetti,

Helen Garner Helen Garner (née Ford, born 7 November 1942) is an Australian novelist, short-story writer, screenwriter and journalist. Garner's debut novel, first novel, ''Monkey Grip (novel), Monkey Grip'', published in 1977, immediately established her ...

Tim Winton Timothy John Winton (born 4 August 1960) is an Australian writer. He has written novels, children's books, non-fiction books, and short stories. In 1997, he was named a Living Treasure by the National Trust of Australia, and has won the ...

Murray Bail Murray Bail (born 22 September 1941) is an Australian writer of novels, short stories and non-fiction. In 1980 he shared the Age Book of the Year award for his novel ''Homesickness''. He was born in Adelaide, South Australia, a son of Cyril Li ...

Kaz Cooke Kaz Cooke (born Karen Cooke; 17 December 1962) is an Australian author, cartoonist and broadcaster. She has written several bestselling advice books for girls and women, including ''Real Gorgeous'', ''Up the Duff'' (also published under different ...

Peter Cundall Peter Joseph Cundall, (1 April 1927 – 5 December 2021) was an English-born Australian horticulturalist, conservation movement, conservationist, author, broadcaster and television personality. He lived in Tasmania's Tamar Valley, Tasmania, Ta ...

Rod Jones Rod Jones may refer to: Sports American football *Rod Jones (cornerback) (born 1964), American football cornerback in the National Football League and sprinter *Rod Jones (offensive lineman) (born 1974), American football tackle in the National Foo ...

, Jean McCaughey, Rodney Hall,

Kathy Lette Kathryn Marie Lette (born 11 November 1958) is an Australian and British author. She came to prominence with her 1979 novel '' Puberty Blues''. Early life and education Kathryn Marie Lette was born in November 1958 in Sydney. She appeared in ...

Gabrielle Carey Gabrielle Carey (10 January 1959 – 2 May 2023) was an Australian writer who co-wrote the teen novel, '' Puberty Blues'' with Kathy Lette. This novel was the first teenage novel published in Australia that was written by teenagers. Carey bec ...

and

Drusilla Modjeska Drusilla Modjeska (born 1946) is a contemporary Australian writer and editor. Life Modjeska was born in London and was raised in Hampshire. She spent several years in Papua New Guinea (where she was briefly a student at the University of Pa ...

. In 1989, McPhee Gribble was sold to

Penguin Books Penguin Books Limited is a Germany, German-owned English publishing, publishing house. It was co-founded in 1935 by Allen Lane with his brothers Richard and John, as a line of the publishers the Bodley Head, only becoming a separate company the ...

. In 1990, she partnered with

Eric Beecher Eric Beecher (born ) is an Australian journalist, editor, and media proprietor. He is chair of Solstice Media and Private Media (Australia), Private Media, publisher of Crikey. Early life Eric Beecher was born around 1951. Career Beecher bega ...

and together they launched Text Media Group; and attracted authors including

Peter Singer Peter Albert David Singer (born 6 July 1946) is an Australian moral philosopher who is Emeritus Ira W. DeCamp Professor of Bioethics at Princeton University. Singer's work specialises in applied ethics, approaching the subject from a secu ...

Tim Flannery Timothy Fridtjof Flannery (born 28 January 1956) is an Australian mammalogist, palaeontologist, environmentalist, conservationist, explorer, author, science communicator Science communication encompasses a wide range of activities tha ...

The Chaser The Chaser are an Australian satirical comedy group, best known for their television programmes and satirical news masthead. The group take their name from their satirical newspaper, a publication known to challenge conventions of taste. Th ...

team,

Shane Maloney Shane Maloney (born 1953) born in Hamilton, Victoria is a Melbourne author best known as the creator of the Murray Whelan series of crime novels. Life and career Maloney was educated at Christian Brothers' College, St Kilda (CBC St Kilda). He st ...

Hazel Hawke Hazel Susan Hawke (née Masterson, 20 July 192923 May 2013) was the first wife of Bob Hawke, the 23rd Prime Minister of Australia. She married him in 1956, and supported him throughout his prime ministership (1983–1991); they divorced in 19 ...

Robert Manne Robert Michael Manne (born 31 October 1947) is an Emeritus Professor of Politics and Vice-Chancellor's Fellow at La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia. He is a leading Australian public intellectual. Background Robert Manne was born in Mel ...

and

Raimond Gaita Raimond "Rai" Gaita (born Raimund Joseph Gaita; 14 May 1946) is a German-born Australian philosopher and writer, best known for his 1998 biography about his early life, titled '' Romulus, My Father''. He was foundation professor of philosophy a ...

. Text was sold to

Fairfax Media Fairfax Media was a media (communication), media company in Australia and New Zealand, with investments in newspaper, magazines, radio and digital properties. The company was founded by John Fairfax as John Fairfax and Sons, who purchased ''The ...

in 2004. In 2005, again with Beecher, she co-founded Private Media and acquired ''

Crikey Crikey is an Australian online news outlet founded in 1999. It consists of a website and email newsletter available to subscribers. History Crikey was founded by the activist shareholder Stephen Mayne, a journalist and former staffer of the ...

'', and additional online news services. Gribble was a Director of the

Australian Broadcasting Corporation The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) is Australia’s principal public service broadcaster. It is funded primarily by grants from the federal government and is administered by a government-appointed board of directors. The ABC is ...

, including a term as deputy chair, a member of the

Australia Council Creative Australia, formerly known as the Australia Council for the Arts and the Australia Council, is the country's official arts council, serving as an arts funding and advisory body for the Government of Australia. The council was announ ...

, a director of

Lonely Planet Lonely Planet is a travel guide book publisher. Founded in Australia in 1973, the company has printed over 150 million books. History 20th century Lonely Planet was founded by married couple Maureen Wheeler, Maureen and Tony Wheeler. In 19 ...

, of the

Melbourne Symphony Orchestra The Melbourne Symphony Orchestra (MSO) is an Australian orchestra based in Melbourne. The MSO is resident at Hamer Hall. The MSO has its own choir, the MSO Chorus, following integration with the Melbourne Chorale in 2008. The MSO relies on fun ...

, the Melbourne Major Events Company,

Austrade The Australian Trade and Investment Commission, or Austrade ( ), is the Australian Government's trade, investment and education promotion agency which was also given responsibility for tourism policy, programs and research from 2013. Austrade ...

Circus Oz Circus Oz is a contemporary circus company based in Australia, collectively owned by its Membership, founded in 1978. Its shows incorporate circus, theatre, satire, rock 'n' roll and a uniquely Australian humour. History Early years Circus Oz r ...

Care Australia CARE Australia is an Australian, not-for-profit, secular humanitarian aid agency assisting in disaster relief efforts and addressing the causes of global poverty in developing countries. It is one of a confederation of 12 national members of CARE ...

, and a founding member of the Women's Electoral Lobby, as well as the Essendon Football Club's Women's Network. Gribble died of

pancreatic cancer Pancreatic cancer arises when cell (biology), cells in the pancreas, a glandular organ behind the stomach, begin to multiply out of control and form a Neoplasm, mass. These cancerous cells have the malignant, ability to invade other parts of ...

in October 2011, aged 69.

Honours and recognition

Gribble was appointed a

Member of the Order of Australia The Order of Australia is an Australian honours and awards system, Australian honour that recognises Australian citizens and other persons for outstanding achievement and service. It was established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Monarch ...

in the 1993 Australia Day Honours. She was inducted onto the

Victorian Honour Roll of Women The Victorian Honour Roll of Women was established in 2001 to recognise the achievements of women from the Australian state of Victoria. It was launched by The Hon. Joan Kirner AC as a joint initiative of the Centenary of Federation Victoria Comm ...

in 2001.

References

External links

"My friend, Diana Gribble, died the other night.."
by

ABC Online The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) is Australia’s principal Public broadcasting, public service broadcaster. It is funded primarily by grants from the Australian Government, federal government and is administered by a government ...

* . {{DEFAULTSORT:Gribble, Di 1942 births 2011 deaths Australian businesspeople Australian book editors Australian feminist writers Book publishers (people) Book publishing company founders Members of the Order of Australia