Fridays with Blanche (Paperback)

Derek Rielly

ISBN 10: 1761472089 / ISBN 13: 9781761472084

Published by Allen & Unwin, Sydney, 2025

About this Item

Paperback. 'What a treat! Brutal truths and bombshells galore. Profound reflections on life, longing and the legacy of Bob. It's like a long Friday lunch that you never want to end. Your host: a national treasure named Blanche.' Trent Dalton'Blanche is an Australian original, with an extraordinary life story. This book contains pearls, insights and unexpected twists.' Peter FitzSimons What secrets will Blanche d'Alpuget disclose to Derek Rielly over regular Friday lunches in her Sydney apartment? What was it like to be Australia's most notorious woman? Blanche discusses the domino effect her seminal biography on Bob Hawke had on the Labor Party and Australians, how vanity led her to spirituality and what it was like to survive breast cancer soon after Hawke's death.An acclaimed writer, her work spans biography, fiction and essays. Blanche's ideas, in the current climate, are - to put it mildly - dangerous. Among those interviewed for this revealing biography are Hawke's daughter Sue, Blanche's son Louis, her former husband Tony Pratt, writer Thomas Keneally, actor Miriam Margolyes and ALP kingmaker Graham Richardson. Nothing is off limits in these deeply personal and wildly frank conversations. Blanche is refreshingly candid as she takes us inside one of Australia's great partnerships and explores the liberation of life, love and sex at 80. Fridays with Blanche is d'Alpuget at her wise and witty best, matched by Rielly's curiosity and flair. Blanche d'Alpuget at her wise, sexy and funny best explores the liberation of life, love and sex at 80. Shipping may be from our UK warehouse or from our Australian or US warehouses, depending on stock availability.

Seller Inventory # 9781761472084

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Fridays with Blanche (Paperback)
• Publisher: Allen & Unwin, Sydney
• Publication Date: 2025
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1761472089
• ISBN 13: 9781761472084
• Binding: Paperback
• Condition: new

About this title

Synopsis

Blanche d’Alpuget—at her wise, sexy, and wickedly funny best—explores the liberation of life, love, and sex at 80.

What secrets will Blanche d’Alpuget reveal to writer Derek Rielly over their regular Friday lunches in her Sydney apartment? Once Australia’s most notorious woman, Blanche reflects on the domino effect her groundbreaking biography of Bob Hawke had on politics and the nation, her journey from vanity to spirituality, and surviving breast cancer soon after Hawke’s death.

In these candid, spirited conversations, Blanche and Rielly discuss fame, grief, passion, and aging with unflinching honesty and humor. Also sharing their insights are Hawke’s daughter Sue, Blanche’s son Louis, Thomas Keneally, Miriam Margolyes, Tony Pratt, and Graham Richardson.

Fridays with Blanche is an intimate, fearless portrait of a national icon—revealing, funny, and profound.

“What a treat! Brutal truths and bombshells galore. Profound reflections on life, longing and the legacy of Bob. It’s like a long Friday lunch that you never want to end. Your host: a national treasure named Blanche.” – Trent Dalton

About the Author

Derek Rielly is an editor, writer, magazine and book publisher, columnist, entrepreneur and PR agent. He has launched two magazines, including Stab (in 2003) and the four-language title Surf Europe, acted as a trouble-shooting editor on Australia's biggest men's title, created websites and advertising campaigns and consulted on others. His writing has appeared in The Australian, The Sydney Morning Herald, Wish magazine and many other publications. His photography has appeared in The Good Weekend and in advertising campaigns.

Derek's previous books are Wednesdays with Bob, a bestselling biography of the popular former prime minister Bob Hawke that was rated the number one political biography in The Financial Review, and Gulpilil, a portrait of the late iconic actor, dancer and artist David Gulpilil Ridjimiraril Dalaithngu. He lives in Sydney.