Annette Freeman has worked for almost thirty years as a trade marks lawyer with the same Sydney firm, where she has been a partner for the last ten years. The stories she could tell about that! But John Grisham has already been there. So she has chosen to write about her dream which became a reality and then went bust, candidly exposing her faults and mistakes, for the reader’s enjoyment and education, plus a few laughs. Annette was born and raised in Tasmania (aren’t all the best people?) and gained her first two degrees at the Australian National University in Canberra, and her postgraduate degree at University of Technology Sydney. Apart from looking after her clients all around the world, Annette has also borne and raised three now-grown children, been married and divorced (but only once each), and dreamt a lot of dreams. If she had her time over, she would attempt Tea In The Library all over again, changing only about a hundred things.
As you may know, Tasmanians are born, not made. Annette Freeman is a born and bred Tasmanian, and grateful for all that means. She was educated on the island and at the Australian National University in Canberra, where she completed degrees in English Literature and Law. Although there is a lot of creative satisfaction in literature there is not much money to be made, so the law was where her vocation took her.
Having subsequently spent thirty years of her life as a high-powered corporate lawyer, whizzing about the globe and transacting business for multinationals, Annette now sees less of her office, and continues to travel as often as possible.
She now has more time for writing, musing, studying – and of course adventure trekking. Having discovered – only a few short years ago – that tramping around the highest mountains in the world was not only inspirational but actually do-able, Annette has trekked to Everest Base Camp, Patagonia, the Canadian Rockies, New Zealand, the Basque region of Spain, Antarctica, Machu Picchu, Tajikistan – and to Kilimanjaro.
In between these adventures Annette opened – and closed – a very special café bookshop in the heart of Sydney. It was a tale worth telling, which she did in her book ‘Tea In The Library’.
Annette lives in her first choice location, Sydney, with a moving feast of children, grandchildren, dogs and rabbits.
