Beatrice Davis, 1909-1992, was general editor at Angus and Robertson the main Australian publishing company from 1937 to 1973. There she discovered and published such writers as Thea Astley, Miles Franklin, Patricia Wrightson, Xavier Herbert and Hal Porter becoming a literary tastemaker in the process. A central figure in Australian literature – ‘respected, feared, courted and berated.’ Originally published to great acclaim in 2001, A Certain Style introduced this stylish and formidable woman to thousands of readers and told a history of books and publishing in twentieth-century Australia. This reissue has a new introduction and updates throughout as the author presents a compelling account of a contradictory woman and her times.
Author Jacqueline Kent won the 2002 National Biography Award and the Nita B Kibble Award for A Certain Style, first published by Viking. Reissue has a new introduction reflecting on more recent publishing developments – onscreen editing, corporate mergers etc – that contrast with the highly masculine, pen-and-ink world Beatrice worked in. Jacquie is now a well-known journalist and excellent media performer. Her book The Making of Julia Gillard received a huge amount of coverage. A Certain Style will be a great companion to other classic nonfiction NewSouth has put back into print, including books by Henry Reynolds and Anne Summers. The name Beatrice Davis has currency because Australian Publishers’ Association runs a prestigious editorial fellowship named after her. Beatrice Davis was a judge of the Miles Franklin award from its inception and the last judge to have been appointed by Miles Franklin herself.
