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Other People's Words
A legendary Australian editor and publisher's perspective on the world of independent publishing.
Other People's Words is the story of fifteen years in which a small independent company was a force in Australian publishing. From McPhee Gribble came many new writers, including Helen Garner, Tim Winton, Drusilla Modjeska and Kaz Cooke, fresh perspectives on Australian life and history - and, fleetingly, hope that an Australian company could become a fully fledged player in the international publishing industry.
This is the story of a friendship between Hilary McPhee and Diana Gribble and the company they built, with its unique way of working that at once mirrored the times and changed them, how it thrived and how it fell.
It is also a portrait of a woman who accidentally became a legendary editor and publisher. Hilary McPhee grew up surrounded by books and stories, and also by some of the silences and gaps in the record that defined Australia until recent years. Her belief in publishing not just as a process but as a means of transmission of ideas and imagination had its origins in every corner of her life.
Other People's Words is the story of fifteen years in which a small independent company was a force in Australian publishing. From McPhee Gribble came many new writers, including Helen Garner, Tim Winton, Drusilla Modjeska and Kaz Cooke, fresh perspectives on Australian life and history - and, fleetingly, hope that an Australian company could become a fully fledged player in the international publishing industry.
This is the story of a friendship between Hilary McPhee and Diana Gribble and the company they built, with its unique way of working that at once mirrored the times and changed them, how it thrived and how it fell.
It is also a portrait of a woman who accidentally became a legendary editor and publisher. Hilary McPhee grew up surrounded by books and stories, and also by some of the silences and gaps in the record that defined Australia until recent years. Her belief in publishing not just as a process but as a means of transmission of ideas and imagination had its origins in every corner of her life.
- GenresNonfictionAustralia
344 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2001
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
April 15, 2026
The breath of change that permeated Australian writing and independent publishing in the 1980s was motivated in no small way by the fierce championing of Hilary McPhee. And how wonderfully this memoir captures it.
A passionate and deeply inspiring read.
A passionate and deeply inspiring read.
April 5, 2026
What I didn't know about publishing in Australia! It's fascinating to realise that the subtleties of my attitudes and beliefs about Australia have changed along with what has been available to read - and I am a big fan of reading works either about or by Australians. Thank you McPhee Gribble for your contribution to making Australian stories available.
November 13, 2019
This was an interesting book about Hilary’s contact with the Jordanian royal family.
May 1, 2020
4.5 stars
May 26, 2020
To be fair to the book, I should have known more about publishing & the names of publishers.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews