Mount Gambier Library will host an in-conversation event with South Australian authors Gay Lynch and Danielle Clode as they delve into the past and discuss “forgotten women”.

Gay Lynch will promote her book Unsettled, set in Gambierton (formally Mount Gambier) in the 1800s.

The fictionalised story explores Australia’s colonial and settlement history through the eyes of the Lynch family.

An exploration of the Irish, the feminine, the local Boandik culture, Unsettled also features local characters and events such Adam Lindsay Gordon, Father Julian Tenison-Woods and the wreck of the Admella.

“The accounts of women in history are often unrecorded or erased and their contributions quickly forgotten,” Ms Lynch said.

“Both Danielle and I have dedicated much of our professional lives re-telling the lost stories of strong women figures and combined, our latest books tell of both the struggles and the achievements of some incredible
women.”

Ms Clode has a string of best-selling Australian non-fiction books to her name, including the popular The Wasp and the Orchid, but it is her latest release In Search of the Woman Who Sailed the World that has attracted attention from both readers and
researchers.

“Jeanne Barret began life as a humble French peasant woman, who overcame insurmountable barriers to become the first woman to circumnavigate the world in the 1770s, making substantial contributions to taxonomic collections along the way,” Ms Clode said.

“Yet Barret’s name is almost entirely unknown.

“Her signature does not appear on any of the thousands of specimens she collected, for her identity remained a mystery for over two centuries as she disguised herself as a man to embark on the journey.”

The authors will also host free writing workshops with a focus on bringing history to life.

“Mount Gambier Library looks forward to hosting Gay and Danielle to explore these incredible stories and more,” Mount Gambier Library Programs Team Leader Kristi Brooks said.

The events will be held on March 25 and bookings are essential and can be made by phoning Mount Gambier Library 8721 2540 or online www.mountgambier.sa.gov.au/library under program and events.