Today Paul Brunton OAM is going to launch Biography of a book: Henry Lawson’s While the billy boils by Paul Eggert. The book explores the publication of While the billy boils in the complicated landscape of the early days of Australian publishing industry. Eggert traces the difficult production of Lawson’s work through the murky waters of editing, copyright and royalties. The new edition of While the billy boils: the original newspaper versions, reproduces Lawson’s work as it originally appeared in print. Lawson’s works are published in chronological order, reflecting his growth and change as a writer. It showcases the unique style in which Lawson originally wrote his works, deftly portraying the speech and humour of his characters through idiosyncratic spelling and syntax.