Gabrielle Carey, co-writer of Australian coming-of-age novel Puberty Blues has died suddenly at the age of 64.
Carey and her fellow author Kathy Lette wrote the largely autobiographical novel when they were teenagers. It received critical and popular acclaim for its frank depictions of sexism in surf and youth culture in 1970s Sydney.
The book was published in 1979, and turned into a film two years later. In 2012 the novel was adapted to a television series, which aired for two seasons.
Kylie Minogue remembered “devouring it” in her bedroom at 13, while the feminist Germaine Greer called the novel a “profoundly moral story”.
Lette paid tribute on social media.
I’m deeply saddened by the tragic news about my old friend Gabrielle Carey. I have such happy memories of our teenage years. They were halcyon, heady days full of love, laughter and adventure. 1/2 🧵 pic.twitter.com/2wZZiRf1hd
— Kathy Lette (@KathyLette) May 4, 2023
“I’m deeply saddened by the tragic news about my old friend Gabrielle Carey,” she wrote. “I have such happy memories of our teenage years. They were halcyon, heady days full of love, laughter and adventure.
“We made some mischief and broke some barriers by writing Puberty Blues – our raw, earthy take on the brutal treatment of young women in the Australian surfing scene which is sadly, still so relevant. My heartfelt condolences to her family and friends.”
The pair met at school and fled the Sutherland shire suburbs in their teens to share a flat, where they wrote Puberty Blues. They also wrote a lively column for the Sun-Herald under the name the Salami Sisters.
Carey later spoke candidly to the ABC about her desire to escape her fame, moving to Ireland, then Mexico for many years before returning to Australia and building a life in academia and writing.
The author, whose father was the writer Alex Carey, wrote nine other books after Puberty Blues, spanning fiction, autobiographies and essays.
Her 1984 book Just Us, relating her relationship with a prisoner at Parramatta jail, was adapted into a telemovie, while her latest title Only Happiness Here: In search of Elizabeth von Arnim was shortlisted for the Nib Literary award. She was working on a book about James Joyce before her death.
Very sorry to learn of the death of Australian author, Joycean and jam maker Gabrielle Carey. She kindly sent me some of her Jams Joyce labels. pic.twitter.com/o3fCy5xymb
— Glenn Johnston (@johnstonglenn) May 4, 2023
She lectured at a number of universities including the University of Sydney, the University of Technology Sydney and the University of Canberra.
She is survived by a daughter and son.
Tributes flowed for Carey on social media from Australia’s literary scene, paying acclaim to her five-decade writing career.
Vale Gabrielle Carey - the other 50% of ‘the Salami Sisters’ with Kathy Lette. Knew them both as precocious 16 year olds. Gabrielle went on to become a Joycean scholar!
— Phillip Adams (@PhillipAdams_1) May 4, 2023
Such sad, sad news about Gabrielle Carey. A superb writer, over five decades, who never felt feted enough. She was so damned good https://t.co/1Rpwsh7oFK
— Nikki Gemmell (@NikkiGemmell) May 4, 2023
Elfy Scott, the editor of Mamamia, was taught by Carey at a UTS creative writing class, and recalled her generosity while Scott wrote her debut book.
I am so saddened to hear about the loss of the wonderful Gabrielle Carey. I first met her through a creative writing class at UTS and she was so incredibly generous, kind, and supportive while I was writing my book. She'll be greatly missed by so many
— Elfy Scott (@elfy_scott) May 4, 2023
Terribly sad to hear about Gabrielle Carey. I first met her at a Bloomsday event at the Old Clare nearly twenty years ago — her passion for Joyce and performance vibrated through the crowded pub. Here’s a photo of her bringing Finnegans Wake to life in Canberra last year. Vale. pic.twitter.com/zUBAVaJRaG
— Alice Grundy (@alicektg) May 4, 2023
Posting this in memory of Gabrielle Carey. We met only a few times; I knew her in the way an editor and reader knows a writer. I greatly admired her non-fiction, so much of which was about the wild imaginative connections between books and readers.https://t.co/fcBLYJZ1W1
— Catriona Menzies-Pike (@catri) May 4, 2023
Holden Sheppard, the award-winning author of The Brink and The Invisible Boys, reflected on memories shared in the Blue Mountains with Carey, describing her as an icon of Australian literature.
Sad to see iconic Australian author Gabrielle Carey (PUBERTY BLUES) has passed away. We were both at Varuna in the Blue Mountains in 2018. She shared her industry stories over dinner & one morning in the kitchen she taught me how to use a coffee percolator. It was generous. Vale. pic.twitter.com/mqiSWeDLzn
— Holden Sheppard 🇦🇺😎💪 (@V8Sheppard) May 4, 2023
