Madeleine Cleary Author Talk - The Butterfly Women

Event Description

Please join us in welcoming debut author and Yarra Ranges local Madeleine Cleary as she discusses her debut novel, The Butterfly Women, and shares some insights into the story behind the book. This includes the research she did with her dad into the family story: a connection to a woman called Catherine Cleary who was a resident of Melbourne's red-light district known as 'Little Lon' in the nineteenth-century. Living and working in a brothel in Juliet Terrace, Catherine Cleary was once described by The Age as 'an infamous wretch' who resided in 'one of the most disgusting dens in Melbourne'. Catherine also happens to be Madeleine's great-great-great grandmother. This was a family secret discovered after years buried in the shadows, so Madeleine will discuss how it was uncovered, other interesting facts about Melbourne's history and how this research inspired her debut novel.