Friends of the State Library invite special guest speakers to talk about the Books in their life.

Samela is an Adelaide-based Hall of Fame journalist for whom retirement has been an epic fail. In a career which began aged 7 writing reviews for her father’s bookshop publication, Mary’s Own Paper, she has edited Adelaide University’s On Dit, worked for The News on North Tce, AAP Reuter on Fleet Street, The Evening News in Edinburgh, The Australian and The Advertiser in Adelaide. She was first woman general reporter on two papers and, notably, Australia’s first female Aussie Rules football columnist. She has written food columns and a cookery book. She’s been a veteran arts editor and founding chair of the Adelaide Critics Circle. She’s been there and done that and is still doing it, running Women In Media SA, mentoring arts writers for InDaily, writing art catalogues for joy and recently, delivering the Adelaide Festival Centre’s 50th Anniversary book.