What brings together a Russian-born Israeli-Australian author, Lee Kofman, who one day decides to take her (unsuspecting) Orthodox Jewish mother to Sexpo and an unconventional Greek girl, Maria Katsonis, whose father locks her out of the house after her all night drinking marathons? Writing, of course, and, more specifically, writing grounded in their personal experiences.
In Rebellious Daughters, some of Australia’s most talented female writers share true stories of rebellion and independence as they defy expectations of parents and family to find their place in the world. The contributors are: Jane Caro, Jamila Rizvi, Michelle Law, Susan Wyndham, Maria Katsonis, Lee Kofman, Rebecca Starford, Amra Pajalic, Jo Case, Leah Kaminsky , Caroline Baum, Marion Halligan, Rochelle Siemienowicz, Nicola Redhouse, Krissy Kneen, Silvia Kwon and Eliza-Jane Henry-Jones.
Rebellious Daughters editors, Katsonis and Kofman explain, “We wanted to find out what other writers can reveal about this supposedly universal life experience, which has been so formative in our lives. We decided to focus on female experiences. To this day, the stereotypes of daughters as dutiful and obedient seem to endure in contrast to sons who presumably sow their wild oats as a rite of passage. We wanted to hear the less-talked-about stories of daughters – stories of independence, stories of breaking away from familial continents to assert the Self.”
The stories in Rebellious Daughters explore childhood mischief, the angst of teenage years and lifelong conflicted family relationships, offer cautionary fairy tales, and tell it all about pashing boys and becoming mothers themselves. They will surprise, provoke and delight readers whether it’s getting into trouble in a seedy nightclub, reading erotica under the covers by torchlight or sabotaging their father’s ritual afternoon coffee.
Maria Katsonis is the author of the memoir The Good Greek Girl (Ventura Press 2015), an account of her experience of mental illness and rebellion against a traditional Greek upbringing. It will be published in the UK later this year as The Mind Thief. Her writing has appeared in The Age, The Guardian and New Paradigm. A vocal mental health advocate, Maria is a beyondblue Ambassador and a consumer representative with Mental Health Australia. In her day job, she is a senior executive at the Victorian Department of Premier and Cabinet.
Lee Kofman is an award winning Russian-born Israeli-Australian author of four books, writing teacher and mentor. Her most recent book is The Dangerous Bride: Memoir of Love, Gods and Geography (Melbourne University Press, 2014), which has been included in Recommended Books lists at 2014 (The Age and Australian Book Review) and 2015 (The Age). Her short works have been published widely in Australia, Scotland, UK, USA and Canada, including in Best Australian Stories and Best Australian Essays, and her blog on the writing process was a finalist for Best Australian Blogs 2014.
