Kathy Lette, honorary Doctor of Arts
6 November 2009
Southampton Solent University honoured internationally renowned author Kathy Lette on Friday, 6 November during the University's Graduation ceremonies at Southampton Guildhall.
Kathy received the honorary degree of Doctor of Arts, which was bestowed upon her by Chancellor, Admiral the Lord Alan West of Spitfield. The ceremony was one of 10 for nearly 2,000 students graduating in subjects ranging from marketing and music to yacht and powercraft design and the first cohort of students graduating in BA (Hons) Comedy Writing and Performance, and BA (Hons) Event Management.
Kathy was recognised for her outstanding writing career. She first achieved success as a teenager with the novel, Puberty Blues, which was turned into a major motion picture by Oscar winning director, Bruce Beresford. Her subsequent novels have been translated into 17 foreign languages and published in more than 100 countries.
Early titles were Llama Parlour (1991), Foetal Attraction (1993) and Mad Cows (1996), which featured on the big screen starring Anna Friel and Joanna Lumley. Later novels included Girls Night out (1998), Nip ‘n Tuck (2000), Dead Sexy (2003) and How to Kill your Husband – and other handy household hints (2006), which is soon to be televised.
Kathy is also a playwright, TV broadcaster, spokesperson for the Australian Cancer Council and is on the Board of Superwoman - a financial service for women.
The self-taught author, who left school at 15, said: “I am thrilled with this honour. If you don’t have a degree, book critics tend to be condescending so I am absolutely going to gloat.
“Solent University offers stimulating courses that give students real life opportunities. To be a successful author you need to have something to say and an original way of saying it and I am sure that after studying at Solent you would have this originality.”
Sydney-born Kathy also joked about her heritage; with her great, great, great grandfather coming to Australia from Portsmouth as a convict in 1788. She said: “I’m sure he would be rattling his chains with pride today.”
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