In Conversation with Anthea Hodgson

Anthea will be in conversation with fellow author A J Lyndon, they will be talking about Anthea's new book The Palace of Lost Virtue.

At its core, The Palace of Lost Virtue is a story of female friendship and resilience. Blending real historical events with beautifully written fiction, the novel shines a light on overlooked chapters of Australian history.

Marigold is a devout Christian working with her mother to save the local women from a life dedicated to sex work. Pansy is one of those sex workers and the owner of Pansy Arlington's Palace of Pleasure. When the women's paths cross, what ensues is an extraordinary friendship, a shocking murder trial and a history that gives voice to the lives of the remarkable women who lived and died in the goldfields.

Set in Kalgoorlie between 1898 and 1926, this intimate story of female friendship is drawn from Western Australia's dark past and real history. Inspired by the real-life murders of policemen Alexander Pitman and John Walsh, this novel threads a brutal act of violence through its narrative. As the investigation unfolds, questions of guilt, justice and truth become increasingly blurred.