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Katrina Kell on academic nudes & truth telling
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Katrina Kell on academic nudes & truth telling

Writing WA Chair Lesley Reece AM talks to a remarkable West Australian author with more than one remarkable story to tell

Katrina Kell is an award-winning Australian writer. Her new historical novel Chloé (2024) was inspired by one of Australia’s most iconic paintings. Created in Paris by Jules Joseph Lefebvre in 1875, Chloé has graced the walls of Young and Jackson Hotel since 1909 and is now a much-loved cultural icon. “Having a drink with Chloé” has been a good luck ritual for Australian soldiers since WWI, a tradition that has continued throughout the decades.

Katrina’s short stories, poetry and essays have been published in anthologies and literary journals including Westerly, Text, Raudem and Index, and her journalism has appeared in various media, including The Conversation. She is the author of two young adult novels, Juice and Mama’s Trippin’, and was the winner of an Australian Society of Authors Award Mentorship for the unpublished manuscript of Chloé. Her PhD thesis, Capturing Chloé: Reimagining a Melbourne Icon, explores the myths and volatile history of the iconic nude painting and its model.  

Katrina lives and works on the unceded lands of the Whadjuk Noongar people.

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