Author Judy Nunn is touring NSW, VIC, SA and QLD for the release of her latest novel Black Sheep, and will be in Cowra for an event at Club Cowra on Tuesday, October 26 from 10.30am.
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With an inimitable ability to capture the essence of a location, an era and bring characters to life, actor of stage and screen Judy Nunn is one of Australia's best storytellers.
Her latest novel, Black Sheep, is a sweeping historical novel about a prosperous sheep-farming dynasty and the enigmatic young man they let into their lives; a story of power, relationships, and the lengths people will go to in order to keep their secrets hidden
Many of Judy's bestselling books have brought to life key moments in Australian history; from the nuclear testing site of Maralinga in the 1950s, to the building of the Ghan railway north of Alice Springs in the early 2000s; from Townsville becoming an army base for US soldiers in WWII, to the bombing of Darwin in 1942.
Her love of sharing Australian history is steeped in the data her research uncovers, whether it be a long-hidden secret, or the incredible truth.
When Judy penned her third novel, her focus was drawn to her main character's ancestors.
"I was hooked on the truths my research revealed, there was no stopping me.
"As they say, fact is stranger than fiction," she said.
And so began an incredible bestselling run showcasing well known moments of Australia's past, as well as uncovering some that many would rather had remained hidden.
Black Sheep embraces the role of the sheep-farming industry in Australia, and highlights some of its most dramatic stages.
"The violent Shearers Strike of 1891; the competitive breeding of Australia's finest Merinos on the Goulburn Plains; the production of Australian wool for the Allied forces during World War II," Ms Nunn said.
Judy's 17th novel was inspired quite literally by the nursery rhyme Baa Baa Black Sheep.
"I've always been fascinated by the history behind many an old English Nursery Rhyme, and Baa Baa Black Sheep has a particularly interesting background," Ms Nunn said.
"I chose to interpret this background my own way. Relating its essence more to people than to sheep thoroughly intrigued me."
From the shearing wars of Queensland to the close colonial community of Goulburn, to the trenches of the Western Front, Judy Nunn once again brings Australian history vividly to life.
Ms Nunn's career has been long, illustrious and multifaceted.
After combining her internationally successful acting career with scriptwriting for television and radio, Ms Nunn decided in the 90s to turn her hand to prose.
In 2015 she made a Member of the Order of Australia for her "significant service to the performing arts as a scriptwriter and actor of stage and screen, and to literature as an author".
Seventeen novels and a collection of short stories later, Judy has sold over one million books, firmly cementing her as one of Australia's leading fiction authors.
