A pint-sized Cliff Hardy: Dorothy Porter and the niche marketing of Australia

Abstract

FOR THE FIRST TWENTY YEARS OF HER WRITING LIFE, Dorothy Porter was an obscure Australian poet. trying to make a living from an unprofitable vocation. Then, in 1994, with the publication of The Monkey's Mask, her lesbian detective thriller in verse, she suddenly found financial success, and both local and international renown. Her subsequent work attracted reviews in major Australian newspapers, and interviewers often commented on her "pop star status," Porter's promotion as a celebrity has received much critical attention, yet I would argue that it is only one of several factors which has helped increase her book sales.