Maggie Hamilton
About
AS A SYDNEY-BASED AUTHOR AND SOCIAL RESEARCHER I WRITE BOOKS AND FOR MAGAZINES; GIVE FREQUENT TALKS AND LECTURES ; AM A REGULAR MEDIA COMMENTATOR AND A KEEN OBSERVER OF SOCIAL TRENDS.
I’ve held a number of senior roles in publishing and at the ABC. My professional memberships include serving on the Executive of the Sydney Peace Foundation; as a Member of the Organising Committee for the Federation Australian Women Speak Conference, Office for the Status of Women, set up to examine the future of Australian women; and Member of the Organising Committee for the Federation Australian Women’s History Project, Office for the Status of Women, Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet.
While immersing myself in a world of ideas and possibilities, I wrote a handful of books for children. I was lucky to work with so many brilliant writers and thinkers. In between times I love to travel off the beaten track, to recover those parts of me that are silenced in everyday life. One of my most memorable journeys was through America’s southwestern desert. Something inside me was liberated while traversing those breath-taking landscapes. Returning, I yearned for more space in my life, my head. Eventually I left work to write and explore more soulful topics.
Three years later in 2005 I was invited to set up Allen & Unwin’s Inspired Living imprint, which I managed until 2012. Three huge bodies of research followed alongside this work, culminating in my books What Men Don’t Talk About, What’s Happening to Our Girls? and What’s Happening To Our Boys? which had a huge reception, each striking a chord with many. For several years now I’ve presented my research to mums and dads, to a whole range of professionals at seminars and conferences .
In amongst this work I ached to write fiction, and so my novel Dancing Through Fire was conceived. Just completed I am now busy writing my second novel.
Everything I do is informed by an insatiable curiosity about life, about people. I’m passionate about exploring the possibilities before us, and how we create a better tomorrow. My toes still curl at the possibility of more travel to out-of-the-way places. I love film and vintage clothing, new projects, theatre and dance, and the endless soulful moments that present themselves daily.