North on Cusack

When Yarn Spinners was initially published in 2001 by University of Queensland Press, it was lengthily titled Yarn Spinners. A Story in Letters: Dymphna Cusack, Florence James, Miles Franklin. Marilla North was credited as 'Editor'. The title partially explained the contents of the book, but did not do justice to the nature of the book. Nor did the status 'editor' do justice to North's achievement in creating the book. More than an edited collection of letters, it was a biographical study, via letters, of the personal, emotional, intellectual, and political relationships between three Australian women writers during the twentieth century. This was recognised when the book was awarded the Fellowship of Australian Writers Award for Biography in 2001.