Gravity

Julia Gillard, Australia's 27th Prime Minister, defied political gravity. From the start she walked a political tightrope. As Australia's first female Prime Minister, leading a minority government corroded by internal treachery, Julia Gillard juggled this trifecta defying political gravity for 3 years and 3 days. How did she do it? Why did she fascinate an international audience? Then Julia Gillard PM vanished, before we really knew her. Who is this woman, Witch or Warrior? In this exclusive insider account award-winning journalist Mary Delahunty teases out the personal from the political.

Over the span of a year with rare access to the Prime Minister behind the scenes at public events, party forums and community cabinet, inside the famed PMO including exclusive access to Julia Gillard the day of and the day after her loss. As a journalist and former state government minister, Delahunty has seen the tensions of government from both sides.

In the PM's private office for both the failed coup in March this year and the losing vote in June, the only observer to sit with the Prime Minister the Morning After and record her thoughts, here is the human cost of brutal modern politics: From an insider/outsider given unparalleled access to the Prime Minister this is where the political meets the personal. This is history from the inside.

About the Author

Mary Delahunty is a Gold Walkley Award winning journalist and presenter with ABC TV and commercial networks. She served for 7 years as a Victorian state government minister in senior portfolios and has seen the tensions from both sides. She is currently working as a consultant in government, media and the non-for profit sector where she heads numerous boards.

She is the author of Public Life Private Grief (Hardie Grant), her own memoir about political life and personal loss.

Mary has written about Julia Gillard for Crikey, The Hoopla, The Drum and published an essay about her last 24 hours ias leader in the Good Weekend. She also contributed a long form essay Liars, Witches and Trolls for The Griffith Review 40. She lives in Melbourne.