Blanche d’Alpuget: The life of acclaimed writer and Bob Hawke's widow

Blanche d'Alpuget was an acclaimed author of biographies, novels, and essays. She won the NSW Premier's Award for her political biography about her late husband, Bob Hawke.

D'Alpuget's biographies were known for their candid portrayals of their subjects. According to ABC News AU, industrial arbitrator Sir Richard Kirby likened reading her biographical works to being "caught in the nude". Her biographies of Bob Hawke were among her most well-known works.

D'Alpuget met Bob Hawke in 1970 in Jakarta, where she was living with her first husband, Anthony Pratt. She described her love for Hawke as enhancing her life and attitude, allowing her to weather hostility that came her way after their affair became known.

Brief written by urgent.news from The Age, The Sydney Morning Herald, ABC News AU — 3 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.