Helen Garner and Hannie Rayson

Two Melbourne literary icons come together in one big event, as Helen Garner interviews Hannie Rayson, ‘Melbourne’s most influential playwright’, about her life and work – with all the insight and flair we’ve come to expect from this beloved chronicler of our city.
Hannie Rayson made history when her stage hit Life After George became the first play to be shortlisted for the Miles Franklin Award, and her first major success, Hotel Sorrento was made into a feature film and is a staple of VCE reading lists. She has also written for television, including popular hit Sea Change.
In her long-awaited memoir, Hello Beautiful, Hannie presents scenes from her own life, with all the insight, wit and narrative flair she has perfected in her plays. From a childhood in Brighton to a urinary tract infection in Spain, from a body buried under the house to a play on a tram, she shares a hilarious (and often dramatic) behind-the-scenes look at the life of an Australian success story.
Featuring
Featuring

‘It is astonishing how much shit a woman will cop in the interests of civic and domestic order.’ Helen Garner is a legend. Our poet-laureate of the acute observation, the award-winning novelist, short-story writer, screenwriter and journalist has made a peerless contribution to Australian letter... Read more

Hannie Rayson is a playwright and screenwriter best known for Hotel Sorrento. Hannie Rayson has established a reputation for topical, complex dramas written with wit and insight. A graduate of Melbourne University and the Victorian College of the Arts, she has an Honorary Doctorate of Letters from L... Read more