Jacqueline Kent

Jacqueline Frances Kent (born 1947) is an Australian journalist, biographer and non-fiction writer. She is also known as Jacquie Kent, the name she used when writing young adult fiction in the 1990s and sometimes writes as Frances Cook.[1][2]

Jacqueline Kent
BornJacqueline Frances Kent
1947 (age 73–74)
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Occupationbiographer, non-fiction writer
NationalityAustralia
EducationDoctorate of Creative Arts
Alma materUniversity of Technology Sydney
Notable worksA Certain Style: Beatrice Davis, a Literary Life
An Exacting Heart: The Story of Hephzibah Menuhin
Notable awards
SpouseKenneth Cook

Career

Kent was born in Sydney in 1947 and later moved to Adelaide, returning to Sydney to a position with the Australian Broadcasting Commission following graduation with an Arts degree.[3]

Kent wrote her first book, Out of the Bakelite Box: The Heyday of Australian Radio, while working as a freelance editor. Published in 1983 by Angus & Robertson, it was described by Maurice Dunlevy in The Canberra Times: "This popular social history of Australian radio after World War II is a classic piece of book journalism" and "a buzz from beginning to end".[4] In 1985 she curated an exhibition called "On Air" for the National Film and Sound Archive.[5]

She was appointed to the judging panel for the National Short Story of the Year competition for 1984[6] and 1985.[7]

In 1985 she met Kenneth Cook, subject of her 2019 memoir, Beyond Words, and author of Wake in Fright. They married and were together until his sudden death in April 1987.[8][9]

Kent is a frequent contributor to and book reviewer for Australian publications, including Australian Book Review, Meanjin, The Weekend Australian, The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age.[1] She has contributed five biographies to the Australian Dictionary of Biography.[10]

In 2007 Kent was awarded a Doctorate of Creative Arts from the University of Technology Sydney for her thesis, "Artistry Under Oath: Biography and the life story of Hephzibah Menuhin".[11] The following year it was published by Viking as An Exacting Heart.[12]

Awards and recognition

Book awards
  • An Exacting Heart
    • The Age Book of the Year Award, Non-Fiction Prize, shortlisted, 2008[1]
    • Queensland Premier's Literary Awards, Best Non-Fiction Book and Best History Book, shortlisted, 2008[16]
    • Nita Kibble Literary Award, winner, 2009[14]
    • New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards, Douglas Stewart Prize for Non-Fiction and Community Relations Commission Award, shortlisted, 2009[17]
    • Festival Awards for Literature (SA), Award for Non-Fiction, shortlisted, 2010[1]
    • The Australian Historical Association Awards, Magarey Medal for Biography, shortlisted, 2010[18]
  • Beyond Words: A Year with Kenneth Cook
    • National Biography Award, shortlisted, 2020[19]

Fellowships

Works

Biography and memoir
  • A Certain Style: Beatrice Davis, a Literary Life, Viking, 2001
  • An Exacting Heart: The Story of Hephzibah Menuhin, Viking, 2008
  • The Making of Julia Gillard, Viking, 2009
  • Take Your Best Shot: The Prime Ministership of Julia Gillard, Penguin, 2013
  • Beyond Words: A Year with Kenneth Cook, University of Queensland Press, 2019
  • Vida: A Woman For Our Time, Penguin, 2020

Non-fiction
  • Out of the Bakelite Box: The Heyday of Australian Radio, Angus & Robertson, 1983
  • In the Half Light: Life as a Child in Australia 1900-1970, Angus & Robertson, 1988

Young adult fiction
  • Angel Claws, I Love You, Puffin, 1992
  • Heartbreak High, 1998
  • Making Up, Breaking Up, ABC Books, 1998
  • Love, Hate, ABC Books, 1998
  • Secrets and Lies, ABC Books, 1999
  • Tough Call, ABC Books, 1999

References
  1. "Jacqueline Kent: (author/organisation) | AustLit: Discover Australian Stories". www.austlit.edu.au. Retrieved 29 December 2019.
  2. "Kent, Jacqueline (1947-) - People and organisations". Trove. Retrieved 29 December 2019.
  3. "Jacqueline Kent — Beyond Words: A Year with Kenneth Cook". Sydney Mechanics' School of Arts (SMSA). Retrieved 29 December 2019.
  4. "Writers' World". Canberra Times (ACT : 1926 - 1995). 1 October 1983. p. 12. Retrieved 29 December 2019.
  5. "The bakelite box revisited". Canberra Times (ACT : 1926 - 1995). 12 August 1985. p. 30. Retrieved 29 December 2019.
  6. "New short-story judge". Canberra Times (ACT : 1926 - 1995). 2 September 1983. p. 3. Retrieved 29 December 2019.
  7. "$3,900 to be won in short-story competition". Canberra Times (ACT : 1926 - 1995). 11 May 1985. p. 1. Retrieved 29 December 2019.
  8. Kent, Jacqueline (2019), Beyond words : a year with kenneth cook, UQP, ISBN 978-0-7022-6039-1
  9. Kembrey, Melanie (21 January 2019). "Lunch with: Biographer turned memoirist Jacqueline Kent". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 29 December 2019.
  10. "Browse by author: Kent, Jacqueline - Australian Dictionary of Biography". adb.anu.edu.au. Retrieved 29 December 2019.
  11. Kent, J. (2007). Artistry under oath : biography and the life story of Hephzibah Menuhin (Doctorate of Creative Arts thesis).
  12. Kent, Jacqueline (2008). An exacting heart : the story of Hephzibah Menuhin. Camberwell, Vic. : Viking. ISBN 978-0-670-07117-3.
  13. "National Biography Award". ANU School of History. 1 May 2009. Retrieved 29 December 2019.
  14. "2018 Nita B Kibble Literary Awards for Women Writers". Perpetual Limited. Retrieved 29 December 2019.
  15. "Full shortlist of 2002 NSW Premier's Literary Awards". The Sydney Morning Herald. 9 April 2002. Retrieved 29 December 2019.
  16. O'Brien, Hugh (18 August 2008). "Ian Commins - The Queensland Premier's Literary Awards". abc.net.au. Retrieved 29 December 2019.
  17. "2009 NSW Premier's Literary Awards Shortlists - Matilda". www.middlemiss.org. Retrieved 29 December 2019.
  18. "Magarey Medal for Biography 2010" (PDF). Trove. Retrieved 29 December 2019.
  19. "Shortlist for 2020 National Biography Award announced". Books+Publishing. 10 July 2020. Retrieved 10 July 2020.
  20. "Previous Shortlists". Hazel Rowley Literary Fellowship. Retrieved 29 December 2019.
  21. "Previous Fellows". Hazel Rowley Literary Fellowship. Retrieved 29 December 2019.
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