Nora Kelly (journalist)
New Zealand-born Australian journalist, poet and playwright
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Biography
Kelly was born in Dunedin, New Zealand[3] and educated at St Dominic's College.[2] Her career in journalism began by writing "The Dunedin Letter" for the Christchurch Sun[3] and she began contributing poetry[4][5] and short stories[6] to The Lone Hand.
She moved to Sydney, Australia and was employed by The Bulletin in 1917,[7] which also published some of her war poetry.[8] She took over writing its "Women's Letter" in 1919 from Margaret Cox-Taylor who wrote as Vandorian.[9] She fulfilled that role until 1934, when she left for England.[10] She remained its social editor until at least 1950.[11]
Kelly was a founding member of the Society of Women Writers[12] and served as president in 1941–1943.[13][14]
The first play she wrote was Love, performed by the Sydney University Dramatic Society in October 1921.[15] It was described as "a sketch distinguished for its smart dialogue, but rather unconvincing".[16]
Her 1931 play, The Rose, was performed in a testimonial to Steele Rudd, along with works by Vance Palmer, Louis Esson, Carrie Tennant and Basil Garstang.[17]
Works
Poetry
- The song-maker and other verse, 1937
- 1940–1942, 1944
Plays
- The Rose (1931)
- Half Way to Paradise (1937)
- The Sea Chest (1938)