Jenny Boult (8 October 1951 – 1 November 2005), also known as MML Bliss, was an Australian poet, playwright, and editor.
Early life and education
Jennifer Boult was born in Warwickshire, England, in 1951, migrating to Western Australia with her family in 1967.[1] Her birth family consisted of mother Florence Mary (Molly) Boult (maiden name Elliot), father Leslie Dean Boult, younger brother Jeremy Dean Boult Jr and younger sister Christine Anne Boult.[2]
Boult lived for a time in Sydney and Melbourne before returning to Perth with her infant son, then moved to Adelaide with Harry Bardwell and her son Daniel in 1977. She was instrumental in setting up the Friendly Street Poets in Adelaide at the Box Factory in 1975, and lived in McLaren St for many years before moving to Norwood. She was both South Australia and National Secretary of the Poets Union until 1983.[4]
In 1994 she moved to the small, historic tin mining town of Derby, Tasmania, with her long-time friend and partner Tim Smith.[4]
In 1999 Boult changed her name to Magenta Maria Loveday Bliss and wrote as MML Bliss.[2][1] MML Bliss lived for many years in Launceston and was President of the Tasmanian Poetry Festival.[4]
Recognition
Boult was joint winner of the 1981 Anne Elder Award for "the hotel anonymous", her first collection of poetry.[2]
She was a book reviewer for Thylazine and Sidewalk magazines and awarded a Hydro Tasmania Fellowship for 2003.[4]
Poems, stories and plays by Jenny Boult and MML Bliss have appeared in magazines, journals and anthologies in Australia and overseas. Her works have been translated into French, Swedish, Norwegian, Urdu, German and Italian.[4]