Leslie Cannold

Who is Leslie Cannold?

Leslie Cannold is an author, academic ethicist, columnist, activist, and Australian public intellectual.

Born and raised in Armonk and Scarsdale, New York, Leslie migrated to Melbourne, Australia in her early twenties. She began writing for The Age as an opinion and education section columnist while raising young children and completing her graduate degrees. She is considered a protégé of one of the most influential modern philosophers, Peter Singer, though she does not share his utilitarian views. A non-fiction author and novelist, Cannold is a familiar voice and face on radio and TV in Australia, discussing ethics, politics, and reproductive rights. In 2005 she was named one of Australia's top twenty public intellectuals by The Age newspaper. In 2011 Cannold was awarded Australian Humanist of the Year by the Council of Australian Humanist Societies.