Authors Annie de Monchaux, Trish Bolton and Rachel Matthews are thrilled to be offering their popular workshop, Menopause Is Not a Use-By Date, a literary panel and optional additional writing session, to public libraries.
Their audience-interactive, author conversation, Menopause is Not a Use-By Date, held at the State Library Victoria in August 2024 and featuring MenoWomen panellists in capes, attendees in masks, and even a rap, sold out within a week. Hosted by Readings Bookshop, this event attracted 120 attendees, sparking immediate interest for repeat performances.
The appeal is undeniable, as women are eager for candid discussions that celebrate the pre- and post-menopausal phase. With fresh content and different audiences, they’ll explore the vibrant lives of women whose minds are thriving long after their ovaries have called it quits.
From Taboo to Zeitgeist: Menopause is Not a Use-By Date
Menopause, once whispered about in secret, is now breaking into the mainstream. From comedy acts to musicals, it’s taking centre stage. But what does it say about society’s evolving attitudes toward menopause? More importantly, how are these extra decades being lived? Spoiler alert: they’re not spent in nursing homes, lamenting lost youth.
It’s time we rethink the outdated notion that women are shelved once they’ve fulfilled their biological duties. Today, we’re seeing more novels that embrace life, love, and sexuality in later years, proving that aging isn’t about fading away—it’s about soaring.
Session time options & fees
- 2 hour panel conversation, audience interaction and mini writing task – $600 for three authors
- 4 hour weekend workshop featuring panel conversation and extended writing task – $900 for three authors
Group size and venue negotiable according to space and need (120 women hosted at SLV).
Panel members
The Menopause is Not a Use-By Date panel features three powerhouse Australian authors:
• Annie de Monchaux (WA)
• Trish Bolton (Melbourne)
• Dr. Rachel Matthews (Melbourne)
+ An additional local author of your choice (optional)
Annie de Monchaux
Fremantle-based Annie de Monchaux is known for her critically acclaimed debut Audrey’s Gone AWOL and her Hollywood scriptwriting background. She’s a frequent literary event speaker and a WA Premier’s Literary Award finalist.
Contact: [email protected] | PH: 0414681760 | anniedemonchaux.com
Trish Bolton
Trish Bolton’s debut Whenever You’re Ready was praised as ‘staggeringly ambitious” by Australian Women’s Weekly. A former media adviser and women’s health advocate, she’s been featured in major Australian publications and on ABC radio.
Contact: [email protected] | PH: 0478 416 495 | trishboltonwriter.com
Dr Rachel Matthews
Melbourne author and lecturer Dr Rachel Matthews’ debut, Vinyl Inside, earned a Vogel Awards commendation, and her 2023 novel Never Look Desperate was named one of the year’s best by The Australian and The Guardian. She’s a frequent voice on ABC radio and a sought-after speaker at festivals.
Contact: [email protected] | PH: 0423719945
rachelmatthewsauthor.com
The panel can be delivered with the optional extra of Dr Rachel Matthews’s Readers Are Writers workshop, with Annie de Monchaux and Trish Bolton as guest facilitators, and optional themes such as representations of older women in stories.
Contact [email protected] for further information.
[Posted on behalf of Rachel Matthews]