Biography
Joanna Murray-Smith is an Australian playwright, screenwriter, novelist, librettist and newspaper columnist. She was born on 17 April 1962 in Mount Eliza, Victoria.
Her plays, including Honour and Switzerland, have been widely produced internationally. Switzerland (2014) was adapted by Murray-Smith into the screenplay for the film A Talent for Murder (2026), directed by Anton Corbijn and starring Helen Mirren. She has also written screenplays for Georgia (1988) and Palm Beach (2019), as well as novels and opera libretti.
Murray-Smith was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in 2025 for significant service to the performing arts as a writer. She studied at the University of Melbourne and has received several literary awards, including the Victorian Premier’s Literary Award.
