When Hilde Hinton was on the cusp of adolescence, her mother died. For years she protected her younger siblings from the truth about their mum.

Despite the great grief of her mother's shocking death when Hilde was just 12 years old, there was also a sense of relief for Hilde. 

She shielded her younger siblings, Samuel and Connie Johnson, from the truth of how and why their mother died.

But when Connie also died, decades later of cancer, Hilde was propelled into writing her first novel, in between shifts as a prison officer.

Her debut book, The Loudness of Unsaid things, was intensely autobiographical.

While Connie never got to read the book, Hilde's brother Samuel finally 'met' their mother through Hilde's writing, and learned all that his big sister had done for them growing up.

Now, from her home in Melbourne, where people who need solace freely come and go, Hilde explores in her writing the ordinary things that make life extraordinary.

This episode was produced by Meggie Morris. Conversations Executive Producer is Nicola Harrison. Presented by Richard Fidler.

This episode of Conversations explores mental health, suicide, grieving, grief, death, mothers, single fathers, bipolar, mothers with mental health issues, mental health hospitals, institutionalisation, prisons, writing, books, novels, siblings, Love Your Sister, nuns, Australian Story, childhood cancer.

Further information

The Opposite of Lonely is published by Hachette.

You can watch the episode of Australian Story, which features Hilde's brother, Samuel Johnson, online at ABC iview.