LL 5/6/17.  Creative work associated with elements ID 297329.  Original Eprints ID 33762had been completely overwritten and was deleted 12/3/18

Research statement: This work appears in a book published by an internationally reputable publisher (Pan Macmillan). The book aims to uncover the ideological biases that remain about women and motherhood. Significantly, the book examines how the concept of 'motherhood' similarly affects women who are and are not mothers and is distinguished by this point. It is the first book that we know of to examine the concept of motherhood on women who are and are not mothers through creative writing. The book is also significant in its representation of writers from diverse backgrounds which has the effect of looking at broader cultural definitions of motherhood. My piece is an auto-ethnographic essay which uses my own experience in pregnancy to critique the ways in which women's bodies are regarded as public property as soon as they become pregnant. It robustly criticises the medical establishment's focus on the foetus to the detriment of the mother's health and well-being. While the essay operates within the genre of memoir it also draws upon research in the field of cultural studies and utilises examples within popular culture. As such it uses both form and content to create new knowledge in this field. The anthology was published by Pan Macmillan and features some of Australia’s best known female writers: Alice Pung, Geraldine Brooks, Jessica Rudd, Maxine Beneba Clarke, Melina Marchetta, Lianne Moriarity and 2015 Australian of the Year, Rosie Batty. The book was reviewed well nationally, and in places such as The Sydney Morning Herald and The Australian, and an excerpt from the anthology was published on prestigious US website, Salon.com. Full text added to dark upload for ERA2018 - HD 19/3/18