We are delighted that Joanna Nell (nee Spain, Newnham '85) will speak on "How Not to Write a Bestseller".  Joanna graduated from medical school with two prizes – both for creative writing. Medicine might seem an odd career choice for someone who’d dreamed always of being a published author, but working as a doctor taught her about people, something she considers far more important than the rules of punctuation. However, it took another thirty years and an unfortunate incident in a bowling alley for Joanna to finally achieve her childhood ambition. 

She is now the bestselling author of five internationally published novels, all featuring dissenting seniors. Joanna describes herself as an advocate for positive ageing, and her work has allegedly inspired several elderly residents to escape from their care homes. Her short fiction has won numerous awards and, despite not being entirely clear about the difference between an em dash and an en dash, she has also written for The Sydney Morning Herald’s Spectrum and Sunday Life magazines.