Author of 'The Female Eunuch' 1970

Germaine Greer | Biography

Actress in 'Universal Soldier' (1971 film) & 'Absolutely Fabulous' (1994 TV series)

• By Anil Pradhan
• Original : February 06, 2022

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Germaine Greer is an Australian-born writer and feminist activist. She is best known as the author of the 1970 international bestseller book 'The Female Eunuch.'

Who is Germaine Greer?

Greer is an Australian feminist icon, activist, author, and actress. She holds around a dozen acting credits and more than 180 credits as a celebrity guest, panelist, and contestant in TV shows.

Greer debuted in the acting industry with the 1962 film Lend Me Your Stable. She then appeared in several other movies and TV series like Universal Soldier (1971 film), Absolutely Fabulous (1994 TV series), Extras (2006 TV series), Come Fly With Me (2011 TV series), etc.

Apart from TV works, she is a renowned writer. Her famous books are 'The Female Eunuch,' 'Daddy, We Hardly Knew You,' 'Sex and Destiny,' 'The Beautiful Boy,' 'White Beech,' etc.

Early Bio and Family

Germaine Greer was born in Melbourne, Australia, on 29 January 1939. She took birth to her mother Peggy and war veteran father, Eric Reginald Greer. Moreover, she was the eldest daughter in a family of three children.

Greer earned her Bachelor's degree in French and English language from Melbourne University. Later, she joined the University of Sydney, completing her Master's of Arts Degree in Romantic Poetry in 1963. In 2003, i.e., at 64 years of age, she received the 'Honorary Doctor of Letters' title for her contributions to Australian literature.

'The Female Eunuch'

Greer published her first book 'The Female Eunuch' in October 1970. In it, she presented her strong arguments as a feminist. She put forward an idea of a society where women were allowed to have their own ideology and agenda and make their own decisions. In addition, Greer also wrote about how females in society are forced into submissive roles to satisfy male fantasies. 

The book became an international bestseller in the non-fiction genre. Moreover, in 2016, theguardian.com listed 'The Female Eunuch' in 13th place of 'The 100 Best Nonfiction Books.'

Also Read - Donna Jeremiah - Author, Husband, Illness & Net Worth

'Daddy, We Hardly Knew You'

Greer's father, Eric Reginald, aka Reg, died in 1983 in Melbourne, Australia. After his death, a famous English publisher Hamish Hamilton offered her a lot of money to write her father's biography. Unfortunately, however, she knew very little about him and had a strained relationship. 

She then sets out on a journey in search of the true identity of her mysterious father. During the journey, she discovered that most of the things her father had told about himself were lies. For example, he said that he was raised in South Africa and later moved to Australia. However, the truth was that he grew up in Tasmania, an Island state in Australia.

Greer wrote all her findings and published a book titled 'Daddy, We Hardly Knew You' in 1989. In her book, she has portrayed her father as an unaffectionate person with no records. Moreover, she has called him an imposter and liar.

Husband

Greer has only been married once in her life, which lasted for less than a month. She married her husband Paul du Feu in 1968. However, they legally divorced only after around five years in 1973.

Greer first met him in Portobello, London, working as a builder outside of a pub. The pair then dated briefly and exchanged wedding vows at Paddington Register Office. However, the wedding night did not turn out to be pleasant for her. In one of her works, she wrote that she spent the entire night sitting in an armchair as her drunk husband did not let her get in bed. She also mentioned that she cheated on him multiple times in a few weeks of married life.

Subsequently, she did not have any children.