Jo’s biography of artist Jessie Traill was published by Australian Scholarly Publishing in 2020 and her biography of artist Adelaide Perry was published by ASP in 2022. Four children’s picture books Jo wrote and illustrated have been published by New Frontier. Each of her picture books uses printmaking as an illustration medium and her love of the printmaking process was her initial connection with the work of Jessie Traill and Adelaide Perry.
Jo received a Creative Fellowship from the State Library Victoria in 2013 to research Jessie Traill’s life and work. She was shortlisted for the Hazel Rowley biography Fellowship in 2021 to research the life of Adelaide Perry. In 2023 Jo has received a residency at Bundanon to research the life of Yvonne Boyd and again been shortlisted for the Hazel Rowley Fellowship for this project.
Jo has spoken about her research and biographies at the National Gallery of Australia, State Libraries of NSW and Victoria as well as literary festivals and writer’s societies. She has spoken at many schools about her children’s books.
Jo holds a Master of Arts in Literature and works part-time in oral history and historical research as she has done for many years.
Jo’s website is: https://storiesoflifecomau.wordpress.com/