Lainie Anderson talks to Cheryl about Kate Cocks life as South Australia’s first female police officer, the complex history of forced adoptions, and the research behind her new novel. The Death of Dora Black is out now.

About The Author

Lainie Anderson is a writer whose 35-year career in journalism and public relations includes 17 years as a columnist with Adelaide’s Sunday Mail, as well as stints at Melbourne’s Herald Sun, London’s The Times and the South Australian Tourism Commission. After being awarded a Churchill Fellowship, Lainie published her debut novel Long Flight Home in 2019. In 2024, Lainie completed a PhD with the University of South Australia, researching the life of Kate Cocks, the inspiration behind The Death of Dora Black. Lainie is a board member of Reconciliation South Australia, an ambassador with the Hutt Street Centre, sits on the executive committee of the History Council of South Australia and the selection committee of the Winston Churchill Memorial Trust. She is a History Guardian for the History Trust of South Australia and was announced as the 2023 Emerging Historian of the Year by the History Council of South Australia. She lives in the Adelaide Hills with her husband Max.