Sharlene Allsopp was born and raised on Bundjalung Country into the Olive mob. She dreams of capturing that elusive perfect sentence—preferably liquored up in a Champagne field in France. She studied Writing and Literature at the University of Queensland, and loves her role as an occasional tutor with the Indigenous Tutorial Assistance and Retention Program on campus. She developed her debut novel as a fellow with The Wheeler Centre’s Next Chapter program. In its early stages, this novel was shortlisted for a 2019 Overland writing residency, and Highly Commended for the 2020 Boundless Indigenous Writer’s Mentorship. She helped establish a charity for domestic violence survivors, and currently lives in Meanjin/Brisbane with her husband, sons and daughters, and a fluffy ball of puppy called Morty.
'Sharlene Allsopp's The Great Undoing is a remarkable book that reaches back into the early 20th century and forwards into the future to examine discontinuities in recorded histories, and the resonances of this within the lives of First Nations people. Allsopp's style is lyrical and almost poetic, even when describing ugliness. The Great Undoing joins the works of authors like Octavia Butler and Claire G Coleman, who use the light of what could be to illuminate what actually is.' * Books + Publishing * ‘It’s an inventive premise: Scarlet’s entries not only trace their journey, but also unpick Scott’s version of history, and some of the more sinister lies about Australia’s colonial past. Factor in, too, some family reckonings, a swooning romcom and abundant love notes to literature. Sharlene Allsopp has burning points to make about the policing of belonging and exclusion – then, now and onwards.’ * The Guardian * ‘The Great Undoing is an exciting work of Aboriginal speculative fiction with plenty of heart to spare.’ * ABC Arts *