Here at Text we are very proud to be publishing a book you should have heard of, and read, but probably haven’t: The Women in Black, by Madeleine St John.

Madeleine St John was born in Sydney. She graduated from Sydney University in 1963 and lived in London for most of the succeeding years, until her death in 2006. The Women in Black, her first novel, was written in 1993.

We will be re-releasing this marvellous book in April 2009, with a new introduction by leading Australian film producer Bruce Beresford, who was a personal friend of the author. We think this book deserves to be read, and enjoyed, by all Australians.

‘In The Women in Black, Madeleine St John evoked the collision of modern European history and the still-awakening Australian culture with an economical intensity that no other writer has quite matched…The reader could start with any page of her brilliantly compressed dialogue and realise straight away that this is the work of an exceptional writer… Now that the book is back in print, we can confidently predict it will never be out of print again.’ Clive James

‘Seductive, hilarious, brilliantly observed, this novel shimmers with wit and tenderness.’ Helen Garner

‘A major minor masterpiece, a witty and poignant snapshot of Sydney the year before yesterday.’ Barry Humphries

‘A comic masterpiece…acute, touching and very funny.’ Bruce Beresford

‘This book is like the perfect, vintage little black dress. It’s beautifully constructed, it evokes another time while being mysteriously classic and up-to-date, and it makes you feel happy. I love it.’ Kaz Cooke