Maharani - The First Australian Princess. Author Chris Kunz at Asia Bookroom

Maharani - The First Australian Princess

The story of beautiful Sydney-born Elsie C. Thompson

the first Australian to marry overseas royalty

Author Chris Kunz will speak at Asia Bookroom

6pm Thursday March 30th

Chris will talk about the writing of Maharani, read a little from the book and answer questions. He will also talk about the other Australian princesses - there have been 6! Should be a very interesting evening!

Maharani - The First Australian Princess, is an epic historical novel, based on the remarkable true story of the beautiful Sydney-born Elsie Caroline Thompson, the first Australian to marry overseas royalty - an Indian maharaja. Author Chris Kunz, a former Canberran and Elsie's great-nephew, spent more than two decades researching his 736 page work. Elsie, a singer, dancer, actress and comedienne, married in 1909 - nearly a century before Tasmania's Mary Donaldson became Princess Mary of Denmark.

Elsie's story is all but unknown. The book is a sweeping saga that travels from late 19th century Australia, through New Zealand, Southern Africa, India, Britain, the European Continent and beyond. Though a novel the book contains snippets from old newspaper articles, as well as reports and private letters never before made public. The book also solves a mystery associated with one of Australia's most famous incidents.

About the Author:

Chris Kunz is a former Canberra teacher and expert in ethnic groups and countries with the Australian Bureau of Statistics.

This is Chris's third book. His previous works, volumes I and II of Brainstrains: Creative Problem-Solving and Logical Thinking: International and Historical Themes were published in 1991 and 1994 respectively.