Marion Halligan: Canberra literary icon dies at 83

Marion Mildred Halligan AM was an Australian writer. She was born and educated in Newcastle, New South Wales, and worked as a school teacher and journalist before publishing her first short stories.

Marion Mildred Halligan was born in Newcastle, New South Wales on 16 April 1940. For several years she was a member of a group of women writers based in Canberra known as the “Canberra Seven” or “Seven Writers”.

The group essentially disbanded after Marian Eldridge’s death in 1997. However, before that, they met regularly to critique each other’s work and published a book of short stories called Canberra Tales in 1988. Halligan died on 19 February 2024, at the age of 83.

Marion Halligan: Canberra literary icon dies at 83

Marion Halligan died peacefully with her family by her side on February 19, 2024, at the age of 83. She is survived by her partner of more than two decades, the poet John Stokes, and two grandchildren.