Portrait of a Scandal
Kim E Anderson and Elspeth Pitt in conversation with Esther Anatolitis
Cover Image of The Prize by Kim E Anderson. Image Supplied by Canberra Writers Festival.
“When two artists enter the 1943 Archibald Prize, a scandal erupts that grips not only the art world, but the nation...”
Inspired by real events, Kim Anderson’s new novel, The Prize, captures a turning point in Australian culture. Join the author, Senior Curator, Elspeth Pitt, and Esther Anatolitis for a conversation about the intimate power of portraiture, the politics of scandal and the role of fiction in queering Australian history.
Kim E Anderson has worked for a variety of book publishers and media organisations including HarperCollins, PBL Online, the Nine Television Network and Southern Star Entertainment. In 2009 she founded a social media site for readers based in New York. An avid reader, she now lives in Sydney and is also a non-executive director of a number of ASX listed companies and a director of the Sax Institute.
Elspeth Pitt is Senior Curator, Australian Art, at the National Gallery of Australia, Kamberri/Canberra.
Esther Anatolitis, Editor of Meanjin, is one of Australia’s most impactful advocates for arts and culture. She is Hon A/Prof at RMIT School of Art and a member of the National Gallery of Australia Governing Council. Across two decades Esther has led arts and media organisations across all artforms, including Craft Victoria and the National Association for the Visual Arts. Esther regularly facilitates strategic, creative and political conversations, and is a prolific writer, critic and commentator. Most recently her work has appeared in the Guardian and Crikey, and her book Place, Practice, Politics was published in 2022.
This program is presented in partnership with Canberra Writers Festival.
