{"product_id":"9781460713167_home-truths-a-memoir","title":"Home Truths: A Memoir","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe revealing and candid memoir of Australia's legendary playwright and screenwriter\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe definitive memoir of David Williamson, author of iconic dramas such as T\u003cem\u003ehe Removalists, The Club, Don's Party, Emerald City \u003c\/em\u003eand \u003cem\u003eTravelling North\u003c\/em\u003e, as well as more than fifty other plays, explores the life of the writer and the true stories and real lives that inspired his works. A powerful force in theatre since the 1970s, Williamson's plays have uniquely explored the pulse of our Australianness. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAfter five decades of chronicling the blunders, mishaps and messes that he and his fellow Australians got themselves into, Williamson has penned his long-awaited memoir, \u003cem\u003eHome Truths\u003c\/em\u003e. It reveals the story of the man behind the work: how a childhood defined by marital discord sparked a lifelong fascination with the power of drama to explore emotional conflict; how a mechanical engineering student became our most successful playwright; the anxiety that plagued him as he crafted his plays; the joy of connecting with an audience and the enduring sting of the critics; and the great love story that defined his personal life.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFearless, candid and witty, Williamson also writes about the plethora of odd, interesting, caustic and brilliant people – actors, directors, writers, theatre critics, politicians – who have intersected with his life and work: from a young Jacki Weaver and Chris Haywood in the first Sydney production of \u003cem\u003eThe Removalists\u003c\/em\u003e in 1971 to Nicole Kidman on the brink of stardom in the 1988 feature film of\u003cem\u003e Emerald City\u003c\/em\u003e and lively dinners with political powerhouse Paul Keating; and from Graham Kennedy in the 1976 film version of \u003cem\u003eDon's Party\u003c\/em\u003e through eventful overseas travels with Gareth Evans, Peter Carey and Tim Winton to a West End production of \u003cem\u003eUp for Grabs\u003c\/em\u003e starring Madonna, and the satisfaction of seeing his sons Felix and Rory tread the boards in several of his own plays.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePraise for David Williamson:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e'Australia's most enduringly popular social comedy writer … \u003cstrong\u003ekeenly observant and satirical.' \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe Sydney Morning Herald\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e'\u003c\/em\u003eWilliamson\u003cem\u003e alw\u003c\/em\u003eays keeps us engaged … his words weave a \u003cstrong\u003espellbinding \u003c\/strong\u003ecourse … testament to the power of [his] language.'\u003cem\u003e The Daily Telegraph\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e'\u003cstrong\u003eOur greatest dramatic entertainer.'\u003c\/strong\u003e Chris Boyd, \u003cem\u003eFinancial Review\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e'His \u003cstrong\u003egenius \u003c\/strong\u003ehas been to define for us, in advance of our own recognition, the qualities which make up the Australian character.' Katharine Brisbane,\u003cem\u003e The Australian\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e'It would be impossible to fault Williamson for not being \u003cstrong\u003ebrutally honest\u003c\/strong\u003e.' Jasper Lindell, \u003cem\u003eCanberra Times\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e'Known for his sharp wit, brutal dialogue and fierce politics, Williamson's book is \u003cstrong\u003esavage, funny and tender in equal parts\u003c\/strong\u003e. It's also first-class eyewitness cultural history.' \u003cem\u003eFilmink\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e'\u003cem\u003eHome Truths\u003c\/em\u003e unfurls \u003cstrong\u003ea sweeping and surprising life\u003c\/strong\u003e. It is a potpourri of Australian middle-class mores, exiting cultural schisms in the nation's theatre fuelled by young men and women who would go on to change the face of stage and screen, the politics of the day, love trysts and betrayal, backstage drama, fame and financial success, family, enemies made and friends lost, marriage and divorce, all backdropped by Williamson's remarkable work.' Matthew Condon, \u003cem\u003eThe Australian\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e'... the overall momentum is powerfully sustained. \u003cem\u003eHome Truths\u003c\/em\u003e is as much a collective portrait as a self-portrait, and \u003cstrong\u003eanyone who picks it up is likely to be carried on by the surge and the propulsion\u003c\/strong\u003e.' Peter Craven, \u003cem\u003eSydney Morning Herald\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e'Like so many of his plays, it is name-dropping, gossipy and \u003cstrong\u003ewonderfully entertaining\u003c\/strong\u003e.' Susan Lever, \u003cem\u003eInside Story\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e'The book is \u003cstrong\u003epacked with detail\u003c\/strong\u003e, personal and professional, as he covers his life step by step, highs and lows, plenty of each.' \u003cem\u003eNZ Listener\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"David Williamson","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46922127540373,"sku":"9781460713167","price":13.99,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0484\/3175\/9509\/files\/9781460713167_ab8cef55-1ed3-46f6-8694-9793ce2b1f6d.jpg?v=1776889851","url":"https:\/\/harpercollins.com.au\/products\/9781460713167_home-truths-a-memoir","provider":"HarperCollins AU","version":"1.0","type":"link"}