Lin Van Hek

Lin Van Hek (born 1944) (aka Lin Van Hecke) is an Australian writer and performance artist, and is the co-founder of a political theatre performance group called Difficult Women.

Van Hek was born in Melbourne but lived in Europe and India for some years. Returning to Australia in the 70s, she lived in a Rajneeshee commune called 'Tralfamadore' inland from Cobargo, New South Wales, founded by Jill Ratten, just outside the boundary of which she built a stone house on the Brass Knocker Creek near the Wadbilliga National Park and state forest in the southeastern corner of New South Wales.

Van Hek was the lead singer of the electro-dance band called "Skin the Wig" in the 80s. She co-wrote and sung the song "Intimacy" which was part of "The Terminator" film. She recorded a solo CD "River of Life" featuring songs of New Zealand writer, Kath Tait. She recorded with entertainer Joe Dolce.

Van Hek is famous for her acts of revenge - e.g. mailing a packet of dead lizards to a former lover, then the editor of a national left-wing newspaper.

Van Hek works with a group of women in North Vietnam designing, manufacturing and trading in ethical, non-exploitative hand-embroidered silk garments and textiles.

Helen Garner's character "Lilian" is based on Van Hek.

Awards

* 1988 winner of the Melbourne The Age Short Story Award

Bibliography

Novels

* "The Hanging Girl" (Misfit Books, 1988)
* "The Ballad of Siddy Church" (Spinifex, 1997)

hort story collections

* "The Slain Lamb Stories (Independent, 1979)

* "Anna's Box : selected short stories" (Difficult Women, 2006)

hort stories in anthologies

* "Cat Tales: The Meaning of Cats in Women’s Lives", edited by Jan Fook, Susan Hawthorne and Renate Klein (Spinifex Press, c2003)
* "Horse Dreams: The Meaning of Horses in Women’s Lives", edited by Jan Fook, Susan Hawthorne and Renate Klein (Spinifex Press, 2004)

External links

* [http://www.linvanhek.com Lin Van Hek website]
* [http://members.iinet.net.au/~dwomen/DWwelcome.html Difficult Woman Website]