Wit, charm and heart: novelist Kerry Greenwood, creator of Phryne Fisher, was a true original
- Written by: Sue Turnbull, Senior Professor of Communication and Media Studies, University of Wollongong
There is a moment in the film Miss Fisher and the Crypt of Tears when the camera pans around the ballroom to discover Phryne Fisher’s creator Kerry Greenwood and her partner David Greagg seated at a dinner table, beaming and elegant in their finest 1920s evening wear.
Also appearing in this scene are many of the Phryne Fisher fans who helped bring the movie to the screen when producers Fiona Eagger and Deb Cox asked for help. The initial crowdfunding target of A$250,000 was reached within 48 hours. A day later the total had risen to $400,000, making this the most successful crowdfunding campaign for an Australian film at the time.
Watching Miss Fisher on film at the Sun Theatre in Yarraville in 2020, at an event organised by Sisters in Crime Australia, seated next to Kerry and surrounded by her fans, was an experience to remember. When we got to the ballroom scene, everyone cheered. Kerry was clearly thrilled.
A great legacy
Kerry died last week after suffering ill health for a number of years. The tributes are beginning to flow in from across the world from her many fans and followers. She has left us a great legacy in the form of her many books and our memories of the author herself. She was as witty, colourful and charming as her heroine, Miss Phryne Fisher.
Phryne was not Kerry’s only fictional creation, although she was her first significant success and will probably continue to be her most revered and influential character. She also wrote the Corinna Chapman series about a Melbourne-based baker, as well as many stand-alone novels in a variety of genres. She was astonishingly prolific.
In 1989, I had the pleasure of meeting with Kerry shortly after the publication of Cocaine Blues, the first in what would come to be the Phryne Fisher series. I well remember suggesting that it would make a great period crime drama.
That would not come about until 2012, after Eagger and Cox acquired the rights and produced three seasons for the ABC. The show was later acquired by the streamers, found a new international audience, and spawned a Chinese adaptation, Miss S.
Authors: Sue Turnbull, Senior Professor of Communication and Media Studies, University of Wollongong
Daily Bulletin
