Brenda Walker

{{Short description|Australian writer (1957–2024)}} {{For|the Emmerdale character|Brenda Walker (Emmerdale)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=December 2024}} {{Infobox writer  | name = Brenda Walker | image = | caption = | birth_name = Brenda Joanne Walker | birth_date = {{birth year|1957}} | birth_place = Grafton, New South Wales, Australia | death_date = {{death date and given age|2024|12|10|67|df=y}} | death_place = Perth, Western Australia, Australia | language = English | alma_mater = University of New England {{br}} Australian National University | notableworks = ''The Wing of Night'' | awards = {{Plainlist| * Nita Kibble Literary Award 2006, 2011 * Victorian Premier's Literary Awards, Non-Fiction, 2010 }} | years_active = 1983–2010 }}

'''Brenda Joanne Walker''' (1957 – 10 December 2024) was an Australian writer. Born in Grafton, New South Wales, she studied at the University of New England in Armidale and, after gaining a PhD in English (on the work of Samuel Beckett) at the Australian National University, she moved to Perth in 1984. She was a Winthrop Professor of English and Cultural Studies at the University of Western Australia. She had also been a visiting fellow at Stanford University and the University of Virginia.

Walker was the sister of songwriter and musician Don Walker, and the daughter of author Shirley Walker.<ref>{{cite news|newspaper=The Australian|title=Kibble Literary Award stays in the family as daughter follows in light of mother|author=Stephen Romei|url=http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/nation/kibble-literary-award-stays-in-the-family-as-daughter-follows-in-light-of-mother/story-e6frg6nf-1226103018309|accessdate=20 August 2011|date=28 July 2011}}</ref>

Walker was killed on 10 December 2024 while crossing Kings Park Road in Perth by a driver speeding at {{convert|97|km/h}}. The driver was moments earlier seen driving at {{convert|104|km/h}}, while the speed limit on Kings Park Road is {{convert|60|km/h}}. The driver was charged with dangerous driving causing death in circumstances of aggravation.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Evensen |first1=Jessica |title=Award-winning novelist Brenda Walker identified as pedestrian killed by speeding car on Kings Park Road |url=https://thewest.com.au/news/court-justice/lucas-martins-da-silva-accused-of-driving-at-104kmh-in-kings-park-before-hitting-brenda-joanne-walker-c-17047674 |website=The West Australian |access-date=11 December 2024 |date=11 December 2024 |url-access=subscription}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Peppiatt |first1=Rebecca |last2=Carbonne |first2=Bianca |title=Brazilian national faces court accused of Kings Park crash that killed 67-year-old pedestrian |url=https://www.watoday.com.au/national/western-australia/brazilian-national-faces-court-accused-of-kings-park-crash-that-killed-67-year-old-pedestrian-20241211-p5kxme.html |website=WAtoday |access-date=11 December 2024 |date=11 December 2024}}</ref>

==Awards== * 2011: Nita Kibble Literary Award, winner for "Reading by Moonlight" * 2010: Victorian Premier's Awards, Nettie Palmer Prize for Non-Fiction, winner for "Reading by Moonlight" * 2010: Queensland Premier's Literary Awards, shortlisted for "Reading by Moonlight" * 2007: Asher Award, winner for ''The Wing of Night''<ref name="austlit0801">[http://www.austlit.edu.au/news/newsDecember2007January2008 Other Award Winners].</ref> * 2006: Nita Kibble Literary Award, winner for ''The Wing of Night'' * 2006: Miles Franklin Award, shortlisted for ''The Wing of Night'' * 2006: New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards, Christina Stead Prize, shortlisted for ''The Wing of Night'' * 2006: Waverley Library Award for Literature, The Alex Buzo Shortlist Prize: winner for ''The Wing of Night''<ref name="austlit0701">[http://www.austlit.edu.au/news/newsDecember2006January2007 Waverley Library Creates Award to Honour Buzo].</ref> * 2000: Victorian Premier's Literary Award, shortlisted for ''Poe's Cat'' * 2000: New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards, Christina Stead Prize, Shortlisted for "Poe's Cat" * 1990: T.A.G. Hungerford Award for an unpublished manuscript, winner for ''Crush''<ref name = "TAG">{{cite news |title= Writing WA - TAG Hungerford Award winners |url= http://www.writerswritingwa.org/site/index.php?module=subjects&func=viewpage&pageid=28 |date = 2005-09-02}}</ref>

==Bibliography==

===Novels=== * ''Crush'' (1991) * ''One More River'' (1993) * ''Poe's Cat'' (1999) * ''The Wing of Night'' (2005)

===Memoir=== * ''Reading by Moonlight: How Books Saved a Life'' (2010)

===Edited=== * ''The Writer's Reader: A Guide to Writing Fiction and Poetry'' (2002)

==References== {{reflist}}

==External links== * {{cite web |title= Walker, Brenda |publisher= Austlit |url= http://www.austlit.edu.au/run?ex=ShowAgent&agentId=A(Pg |accessdate= 2008-04-24}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Walker, Brenda}} Category:1957 births Category:2024 deaths Category:Writers from New South Wales Category:Australian women novelists Category:Pedestrian road incident deaths Category:Road incident deaths in Western Australia