Discovering the real Gough Whitlam: Troy Bramston on writing a life

Overview

Join the Friends of the National Library and Troy Bramston, senior writer with The Australian and author of the most recent biography of Gough Whitlam, to discuss the process and craft of writing a biography.

Troy Bramston discusses his biography of Gough Whitlam, a definitive work that provides an unvarnished analysis of Whitlam's achievements and failures. This lecture will focus on the process of writing the book, undertaking research and his approach to unlocking the secrets of a public life.

Troy undertook much of his research at the Library, drawing on thousands of pages of newly discovered archives, and interviews with more than 100 people. He will discuss how new discoveries informed the first biography of Whitlam since his death in 2014.

There will be plenty of time for discussion, so bring your questions about research, the craft of biography or Whitlam himself.

Following the presentation, Troy will be signing books in the Library foyer.