Freelance Journalist and Author

 

Margaret Simons is an award-winning freelance journalist and the author of seven books and numerous essays and articles. She is also a part-time lecturer at Swinburne University of Technology. She blogs on journalism and the media at The Content Makers.

Her most recent work includes The Content Makers - Understanding the Future of the Australian Media, published by Penguin in September 2007, and Faith, Money and Power - What the Religious Revival Means for Politics, published by Pluto, also in September 2007. THe Content Makers was longlisted for the non-fiction book award in the 2008 Walkley Awards. Simons has previously been a finalist in the 2007 Walkley Awards for journalism (magazine feature writing category) for her essay Buried in the Labyrinth, published by Griffith Review.

Simons’ other work includes her prize-winning examination of the Hindmarsh Island bridge affair, The Meeting of the Waters, which was published in 2003. She also wrote Latham's World, an investigation into the then Leader of the Opposition, Mark Latham, published in the lead up to the 2004 federal election.

As well as writing books Simons is a freelance investigative and feature journalist. She is media commentator for the internet based news service Crikey.com.au, and also writes for The Age, the Sydney Morning Herald, Griffith Review, The Monthly and other publications. As one of the principals of the Media, Education Training and Advice (META) Centre, Simons provides training services to a variety of news organisations and tertiary institutions.

She is also a novelist and a gardening writer. Her book Resurrection in a Bucket - the Rich and Fertile Story of Compost was published by Allen & Unwin in May 2004, and for many years she wrote the popular Earthmother gardening column for The Australian.

Simons holds a Doctorate in Creative Arts from the University of Technology, Sydney. She is associated with the Institute of Social Research, Swinburne University of Technology, researching new media and its application to journalism.

Simons is presently working with former Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser on his memoirs, to be published by University of Melbourne Press in 2009.

Simons lives in Melbourne with her husband and two children.