About Veronica Doolan

Veronica Doolan is still a writer. She strives for prose that is crisp and succinct so is not sure what to do with an extra 140 characters. Perhaps she could use an elegant fountain pen with vivid purple ink to write on thick embossed stationery about her encounter with the prince.

I think of myself as a citizen of the world but the concept of ‘home’ evokes a yearning for several places. Officially I am a citizen of both the Republic of Ireland and the Commonwealth of Australia, with family in Tipperary, Sydney, Perth and Hobart. But I yearn for regular immersion in the culture and landscapes of Italy, Greece … and Broome.

My response was to knit. I had not knitted anything for 30+ years – yet all my knitting needles had remarkably accompanied me on 7 house moves in those years. And yarn could be obtained by ordering online. I knitted a sweater. I knitted another (same pattern), and another. So far I’ve completed 3 sweaters for me plus 2 cardigans (yes it’s sometimes cold where I live), 2 sweaters for each of my sons, 1 for my brother in law and am nearing completion of one for my sister. This doesn’t include the projects I’ve completed and unravelled, or the ‘minor’ garments like socks and hats.

. . . to change your mind. For many years I had an image of myself in the future as an old woman with moderately wild grey hair, wearing layers of long, flowing garments and ornaments that tinkled as I moved, who could play the piano and made a living by divining the future for paying clients. It didn’t quite include a painted gypsy caravan but you get the idea.

Instead of the piano I learnt to play the drums as a member of a ‘parents band’ at the local  school. I did invest considerable funds in astrology texts and attend half-day classes every week for almost a year to gain the skills to divine someone’s future. But I gave up before completion. The effort required was comparable to a university course without the diploma at the end.

Cliches become cliches because they so precisely capture a particular meaning. And so yes, the most important job I’ve ever done, the one that makes me most proud, is being mother to two boys who have grown to be men I admire.

Well why not? A website has to have a theme and the main graphic here is personal favourite – a photo of a flower arrangement created by my niece Erin from stems she collected from my garden.

How about true or false? In my lifetime I have been paid for the following:

1. babysitting on a luxury yacht moored in Port Grimaud (just along the coast from St Tropez)
2. cleaning the rooms of skiers at a pension in Kirchberg, Austria
3. working in a creative agency in Soho, London where I project managed compilation of an underwear catalogue for a Scandinavian brand
4. writing descriptions of dishes in English for a new Japanese restaurant in Sydney
5. creating a spreadsheet to facilitate deliveries of fertilizer by the local scout group

Answers: I’ve done all the above but was only paid for the first 3.

Despite almost a year studying things astrological, I did not complete the course and so did not qualify for a certificate. And my drumming skills fell far short of those required to sit an exam.

After acquiring a degree in Commerce (Statistics – Operations Research) I changed direction to focus on writing and completed a Master of Arts in Creative Writing.

So my significant letters are: BCom and MA.

And sadly, nothing related to pianos or horoscopes or crystals or auras.