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Suburban legend or smooth operator? Nikki Gemmell meets the press

The Bride Stripped Bare by Anonymous is a controversial, and bestselling, novel, probably worthy of concentrated feminist analysis or ponderings on its postmodern take on modern themes. However, what is arguably more interesting about The Bride than any discussion of its literary worthiness is the relationship of the press and public to its ‘anonymous’ writer—both during and long before the release of this novel. Before the book reached the final stages of publication, Australian author Nikki Gemmell was outed, by a journalist, as the book’s scribe, kicking off a flurry of opinions, reviews and interviews—few of which concerned themselves with the quality of Gemmell’s writing. Some read The Bride as stark, earthy revelations about female sexuality, from the heady lust of infidelity to the routines of long-term relationships. To others, the book trotted out trite commentary about women’s subservience, sexual dissatisfaction and longing for motherhood. In both camps lurked readers who, in spite of any contemporary theoretical preference to disregard the author as a site of meaning, were climbing over themselves to uncover the real life connections of the book’s nameless protagonist and its fleetingly anonymous author. A look at the back catalogue of Gemmell’s interactions with the press since the release of her first novel in 1997 reveals that her public reception has long put the focus on her personal rather than professional self. The curious case of this ‘suburban sexpot’ (Ridley, 2003, p. 23) speaks volumes about the contemporary relationship of the author and the press, where publicity and promotion of the author are inextricably linked to readings of the novel.