The Story-teller

An Hour with Kathleen Jones

Kathleen Jones gives a vivid and compelling portrayal of Katherine Mansfield in the first new biography of New Zealand's most famous writer in quarter of a century.

Kathleen Jones gives a vivid and compelling portrayal of this brilliant, original and yet fragile author and also sheds fascinating new light on the way John Middleton Murry controversially manipulated the publication of some of Mansfield's unpublished work after her death.

Raised on a farm in the English Lakes District, Kathleen Jones went on to study law and English literature at university, before specialising in early women writers. She then spent several years in Africa and the Middle East – where she worked in English broadcasting – before returning to Europe. Her published work includes articles for magazines and newspapers, short fiction and 11 books, including biographies of Margaret Cavendish, A Glorious Fame, Christina Rossetti, A Passionate Sisterhood, and Catherine Cookson.  Kathleen has taught creative writing in a number of colleges and universities and is currently a Royal Literary Fund Fellow. She divides her time between England, Italy and New Zealand.

Kathleen talks with Harry Ricketts, poet, academic, editor and author.