Blanche D’Alpuget, Australian author and widow of Bob Hawke, dies at 82

Blanche D’Alpuget, the acclaimed Australian author, journalist, and widow of former Prime Minister Bob Hawke, has died at the age of 82. Her family announced that she passed away on September 8 following complications from influenza.

Over a career spanning more than six decades, D’Alpuget established herself as a significant literary figure, writing novels, essays, and historical fiction. She was particularly noted for her political biographies, including the bestselling ‘Robert J. Hawke: A Biography’, which won a New South Wales Premier’s Award. She and Bob Hawke were married in 1995 and remained together until his death in 2019.

D’Alpuget’s life and work were often characterized by her refusal to conform to social conventions. Her recent memoir, ‘Fridays With Blanche’, explored her personal history and various relationships with candidness. She is survived by her son, artist Louis Pratt, and other family members.