Kim Kelly’s latest book, Ladies’ Rest and Writing Room, is winner of the inaugural Finlay Lloyd 20/40 Prize, a new Australian literary award and will be launched at Orange City Library on Thursday 14 December at 5.30pm.
Set in 1922 in Sydney’s once-famous Farmer’s Department Store, Ladies’ Rest and Writing Room tells the story of two young women grappling with devastating grief in the wake of World War One. When their paths cross unexpectedly in the department store’s Ladies’ Rest and Writing Room, recognition flares and with it a chance of new life and a new understanding of love.
The prize judges said: ‘It’s rare to come across a work of deep psychological insight conveyed with such verve and lightness of touch.’ And the Age once said of Kim’s previous work: ‘Why can’t more people write like this?’
Kim is the author of twelve novels, including the critically acclaimed Wild Chicory and The Rat Catcher: A Love Story, which was longlisted for the 2022 ARA Historical Novel Prize. Kim is also a book editor and PhD researcher of Australian historical fiction. And she’s a local too – grateful to live on beautiful Wiradjuri Country, in Millthorpe. Please book your place online via Eventbrite for the book launch or call Orange City Library on 6393 8132.