One of Australia's most capricious and engaging writing talents, Van Badham's career spans journalism, comedy, drama, arts criticism, genre fiction, speechwriting, music theatre and cabaret, non-fiction, writing for television and radio, and even poetry. Her first novel, Burnt Snow was published by PanMacmillan in 2010, while her plays include the award-winning The Bull, the Moon and the Coronet of Stars, Muff and a stage adaptation of Angela Carter's The Bloody Chamber, as well as Sydney Theatre Company's box-office smash, Banging Denmark<.
Van was born in Sydney and completed degrees in theatre at the University of Wollongong, the University of Sheffield (UK) and the Victorian College of the Arts. A former literary manager of both London's Finborough Theatre and Malthouse Theatre, Melbourne, she has been a regular columnist for The Guardian since 2013, and has appeared a frequent guest of both The Drum and Q&A on the ABC.