Ramona Koval
Ramona Koval | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1954 Melbourne, Australia |
| Occupation(s) | Journalist, writer, broadcaster |
| Years active | 1980s–present |
| Known for | Hosting ABC Radio programs including The Book Show; literary interviews |
Ramona Koval (born 1954 in Melbourne) is an Australian journalist, writer, and broadcaster.
Her parents, Polish Holocaust survivors who spoke Yiddish, settled in Melbourne in 1950.
Koval is acclaimed for conducting thorough interviews with leading authors. She enjoyed a lengthy on-air tenure at the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) Radio, hosting Melbourne’s 3LO (now 774 ABC Melbourne) during the late 1980s and early 1990s, as well as the Radio National Drive program. In 1994, she transitioned to Radio National’s Books and Writing segment, establishing herself as a prominent figure within literary circles. Beginning in 2006, she presented The Book Show, Radio National’s unique daily broadcast focused on literature, writing, and publishing—an exclusive program of its kind globally.
Koval departed from the ABC in October 2011 to dedicate herself fully to writing and has since authored three non-fiction works alongside essays and journalistic pieces.
Since January 2015, she holds the position of Honorary Fellow at the Centre for Advancing Journalism at the University of Melbourne.
Biography
Koval completed her education at Balwyn High School.
She has written books and contributed articles to various newspapers and international journals. Her anthology of literary interviews is featured in Speaking Volumes: Conversations with remarkable writers (Scribe, 2010).
Extensive travel has been part of her career to engage with notable English-language authors and produce multiple radio documentaries. She actively takes part in Australian literary festivals and global events such as the Edinburgh International Book Festival, Montreal's Blue Metropolis festival, and the UK's Cheltenham Literature Festival.
In recognition of her work on the ABC Radio National series "Writing from the Centre," Koval received the Order of Australia Media Award in 1995.
Her service includes board membership at the Australian Book Review, participation in the Victorian Premier's Literary Award Advisory Committee, and involvement with the Asialink Awards Literary Committee. She has twice judged the radio category for the Walkley Awards and chaired non-fiction judging panels for the Victorian Premier's Literary Awards.
Elected as a staff representative Director on the ABC Board in 2002, Koval served during a contentious period until the position was eliminated in 2006 following amendments to the ABC Act.
In 2008, she contributed to national long-term strategic discussions as a participant in the Australia 2020 Summit.
She is mother to two daughters, Emma Kowal and Sara Kowal, and grandmother to five granddaughters and one grandson.
Bibliography
- Eating your heart out: food, shape and the body industry, Penguin, 1985
- One to One, ABC Books, 1993
- Too Many Walnuts, Heinemann, 1993
- Samovar, Minerva – Heinemann, 1996
- A conversation with William Gass on 'The Tunnel'', Quadrant, Jul–Aug 1996
- Thighs and Whispers, included in The Greatest Game, William Heinemann Australia, 1988
- Jewish Cooking, Jewish Cooks, New Holland Press, 2001; revised edition 2009
- The Sarajevo Haggadah, Brick, Winter 2002; also featured in The Best Australian Essays, Black Ink, 2004
- Pythagoras and The Turtle, published in The Griffith Review, Summer 2003/04
- Tasting Life Twice – Conversations With Remarkable Writers, ABC Books, 2005
- Speaking Volumes: Conversations with Remarkable Writers, Scribe, 2010
- Editor of Best Australian Essays, Black Inc., editions from 2011 and 2012
- By the Book: A Reader's Guide to Life, Text Publishing, 2012
- Forewords and essays including "The Terrible Strength of Angels" (2012), "Playing with Fire" (2014), plus contributions to essay collections through 2020
- Bloodhound: Searching for my Father, Text Publishing, 2015
- A Letter to Layla: Travels to Our Deep Past and Near Future, Text Publishing, 2020; recipient of the 2021 Alex Buzo Shortlist Prize at the Nib Awards
External links
- Articles with short description
- Articles with hCards
- No local image but image on Wikidata
- 1954 births
- Living people
- 21st-century Australian women authors
- 21st-century Australian authors
- ABC Radio (Australia) journalists and hosts
- Australian individuals of Polish-Jewish heritage
- Australian radio reporters
- Australian female radio hosts
- Australian female journalists
- Jewish Australian authors
- Contributors to Quadrant (magazine)
- Radio figures from Melbourne
- Authors from Melbourne
- Australian female radio reporters
- ABC radio (Australia) journalists and presenters