AUSTRALIA’S twenty-second prime minister, Malcolm Fraser, defeated in 1983 by Bob Hawke after almost eight years in office, has remained a significant public figure. But he has written little about the often-turbulent events of his long political career. Now comes an autobiography written not by Malcolm Fraser alone, but in collaboration with the journalist and writer, Margaret Simons. Together they’ve produced Malcolm Fraser: The Political Memoirs, written in the third person and bearing all the hallmarks of rigorous research and journalistic method. How did this process actually work? Peter Clarke asked Margaret Simons to reflect on a challenging co-writing experience.
The subtle art of collaboration
Margaret Simons (pictured) talks to Peter Clarke about a challenging co-writing project, the political memoirs of Malcolm Fraser
Margaret Simons & Peter Clarke 14 April 2010 103 words
Share
Share on Bluesky
Share on Linkedin
Share on Twitter
Share on Facebook
Share via Email
Print this article
Share
Share on Bluesky
Share on Linkedin
Share on Twitter
Share on Facebook
Share via Email
Print this article
Share
Share on Bluesky
Share on Linkedin
Share on Twitter
Share on Facebook
Share via Email
Print this article
Margaret Simons & Peter Clarke
Peter Clarke is a Melbourne-based broadcaster, writer and educator who teaches at RMIT and Swinburne universities. He pioneered national talkback on Australian radio as the inaugural presenter of Offspring (now Life Matters) on ABC Radio National. Podcast theme created by Ivan Clarke, Pang Productions.
Topics: Margaret Simons | Peter Clarke | podcast | politics
Related Articles
Books & arts
What does the Albanese government believe in?
Carol Johnson
17 December 2025
Perhaps a little more than Sean Kelly concedes in his latest Quarterly Essay
Other Voices
Another reckoning (with China)
Afra Wang
17 December 2025
A vast country can be seen in different but not necessarily contradictory ways
International
Where are all the Democrats?
Lesley Russell
16 December 2025
And which ones will be standing in 2028?
Books & arts
Democracy on the ropes?
Klaus Neumann
15 December 2025
Liberal democracy is being assailed by far-right populists and autocrats. Who’s coming to its rescue?