Letter writing was a vital part of Christina Stead's creative life and it grew increasingly important in her last decade. It was how she engaged with the outside world and became the focus of her writing energies. Stead was a vivacious, funny, erudite, expansive and witty correspondent. It was a practice she enjoyed, answering all correspondence she received, including Elizabeth Harrower, Stanley Burnshaw, Dorothy Green and H C Coombs.

Beginning in England in 1973, the letters in Talking into the Typewriter span her return to Australia in 1973 until her death in 1983. Politics, friends and family, literary accolades and achievements, pets and reminiscences are all dissected, canvassed and considered.