Margaret Scott
Born(1934-06-20)20 June 1934
Bristol, England, United Kingdom
Died29 August 2005(2005-08-29) (aged 71)
Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
LanguageEnglish
NationalityBritish
CitizenshipAustralian

Margaret Daphne Scott (20 June 1934 – 29 August 2005) was an Australian author, poet, comedian, educator and public intellectual.

Background

Margaret, her first husband, playwright Michael Boddy (1934–2014), and her first son, Daniel, migrated to Tasmania from the United Kingdom in 1959. Two more children, Kate and Marcus, were born in Tasmania. From 1979, she lived with legal scholar Michael Scott and had her final child, Sarah, as well as becoming the step mother to Jane, Christian and Katharine Scott. In 1978, Margaret received her PhD from the University of Tasmania, and was head of the English department at the university until 1989. She worked at the university for over 25 years, but left to devote herself full-time to her writing career. Her publications include four books of poetry, two novels, a libretto and numerous articles. She became well known in Australia in the 1990s as a regular guest on the television show Good News Week. She was also known for her activism on environmental issues and human rights.

In 1995, a portrait of Margaret Scott by painter Geoffrey Dyer was a finalist in the Archibald Prize. The prize is awarded for a painting, "preferentially of some man or woman distinguished in Art, Letters, Science or Politics."[1]

In 2005, she was selected for the inaugural Tasmanian Honour Roll of Women and received the Australia Council Writers Emeritus Award. She died of emphysema.

In 2007 the inaugural Margaret Scott Prize for best book by a Tasmanian author was awarded as one of the Tasmanian Premier's Literary Prizes.[2]

Bibliography

Margaret Scott publications available at the State Library of Tasmania include:

Margaret Scott's poetry has been featured in a number of anthologies including:

Recorded programs:

Awards

Mo Awards

The Australian Entertainment Mo Awards (commonly known informally as the Mo Awards), were annual Australian entertainment industry awards. They recognise achievements in live entertainment in Australia from 1975 to 2016. Margaret (Maggie) Scott won seven awards in that time.[3]

Year Nominee / work Award Result (wins only)
1994 Maggie Scott Female Comedy Performer of the Year Won
1997 Maggie Scott Versatile Variety Performance of the Year Won
1998 Maggie Scott Versatile Variety Performance of the Year Won
Maggie Scott Variety Performance of the Year Won
1999 Maggie Scott Versatile Variety Performance of the Year Won
Maggie Scott Variety Performance of the Year Won
2002 Maggie Scott Female Comedy Performer of the Year Won

Notes

  1. ^ "Archibald.prize 07". Art Gallery NSW. Archived from the original on 10 July 2007. Retrieved 19 July 2007.
  2. ^ "Past Winners". Arts Tasmania. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
  3. ^ "MO Award Winners". Mo Awards. Retrieved 16 March 2022.