A week or so ago, I wrote a post to commemorate this year's Indigenous Literacy Day. In that post I noted that the book I saw we saw was going to be launched at the Sydney Opera House that day. It was written and illustrated by students from Nhulunbuy Primary School, up on the Gove Peninsula, … Continue reading Nhulunbuy Primary School, I saw we saw (#BookReview)
First Nations Australians
Indigenous Literacy Day 2019
Today, Wednesday 4 September, is Indigenous Literacy Day, which the Indigenous Literary Foundation (ILF) describes as "a national celebration of Indigenous culture, stories, language and literacy". The day is intended to both promote awareness of disadvantage in indigenous communities, and to "encourage the rest of Australia to raise funds and advocate for more equal access to … Continue reading Indigenous Literacy Day 2019
Vale Kerry Reed-Gilbert
Note: It is traditional in most indigenous Australian communities to avoid using the name of a deceased person, for some time after their death. And so, as is my wont regarding writing about indigenous writers, I checked out what I believed to be authoritative precedents, and found that Wiradjuri woman Kerry Reed-Gilbert's name has been used … Continue reading Vale Kerry Reed-Gilbert
Bangarra: Thirty years old and still going strong
Last night we attended Bangarra Dance Theatre's current touring program, 30 Years of Sixty Five Thousand. This title refers to the fact that Bangarra, Australia's indigenous dance company, is thirty years old this year and that, as they write in their program, they present "stories through a dance form that is forged from more than 65,000 … Continue reading Bangarra: Thirty years old and still going strong
Monday musings on Australian literature: Listen to Indigenous Australian authors
Some years, I've written an indigenous Australian focused Monday Musings post to start and conclude NAIDOC Week and Lisa's ANZLitLovers Indigenous Literature Week. I have been researching a topic for this year's second post, but it's taking longer than I expected, so have decided to hold it over to next year. Meanwhile, having committed to a … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: Listen to Indigenous Australian authors
Stan Grant, On identity (#BookReview)
Stan Grant seems to be the indigenous-person-du-jour here in Australia. I don't say this disrespectfully, which I fear is how it may come across given Grant's views "on identity", but it feels true - particularly if you watch or listen to the ABC. He pops up regularly on shows, sometimes as presenter, other times as … Continue reading Stan Grant, On identity (#BookReview)
Tony Birch, The white girl (#BookReview)
We need more novels like Tony Birch's The white girl and Melissa Lucashenko's Too much lip. This is not to say that we don't need all the wonderful Indigenous Australian literature I've read and reviewed here over the years, but some of the books, as excellent (and as beloved by me) as they are, can … Continue reading Tony Birch, The white girl (#BookReview)
Monday musings on Australian literature: early Indigenous Australian literature
Since 2013, I've written an indigenous Australian focused Monday Musings post to coincide with NAIDOC Week and Lisa's ANZLitLovers Indigenous Literature Week. NAIDOC Week, for non-Aussies out there, occurs across Australia each July "to celebrate the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples". One way litbloggers can recognise and celebrate it … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: early Indigenous Australian literature
Lecture and Book Launch: Australia’s first naturalists
I don't usually write up book launches, mostly because the speeches are brief, and I hope to eventually read and review the book itself. However, as the title of this post tells, the launch for Penny Olsen and Lynette Russell's book, Australia's first naturalists, was also billed as a lecture, hence this exception. Australia's first … Continue reading Lecture and Book Launch: Australia’s first naturalists
Amanda Duthie (ed.), Kin: An extraordinary filmmaking family (#BookReview)
Kin: An extraordinary filmmaking family is the second tribute book I've reviewed in Wakefield Press's Don Dunstan Award series. The first, Margaret & David: 5 stars, was also edited by Amanda Duthie. Like that book, Kin contains short reflections and essays on the contribution made to Australia's film industry and culture by Freda Glynn, her children Erica … Continue reading Amanda Duthie (ed.), Kin: An extraordinary filmmaking family (#BookReview)
Whispering Gums 