Namila Benson is not someone who blends into the background. As the presenter of several arts shows on the ABC, she has captivated audiences with her keen intellect, exuberant manner and the vibrancy of her fashion. So when we organise to meet at Edwardes Lake in the northern Melbourne suburb of Reservoir, she’s not hard to spot.
“This is my hood,” Benson enthuses with an infectious smile when we meet at the old steam train that sits near the edge of the lake. “I actually grew up in Camberwell – lovely area, very polite – but not known for its arts. There are so many creative people living here,” she says of “Resa”. “I love that you’ll go to your local Woolies and run into [singer-songwriter] Emma Donovan or Andy Williamson from Bombay Royale.”
