I’ve recently reaffirmed my focus on reading the work of First Nations writers and my November favourites reflect this focus strongly.
Fiction books
Bila Yarrudhanggalangdhuray by Anita Heiss
Historical fiction, love story, family saga… This book covers a lot of territory but does so with grace and a narrative force that made me feel pretty disappointed when it ended – I just wanted to keep reading. Heiss takes a shamefully little known historical event – the rescue of an estimated 69 white people by a few Wiradjuri men in bark or wooden canoes during the 1852 Gundagai flood – as a jumping off point for the story that unfolds, centred on the fictional daughter of one of the heroic Wiradjuri men, who Heiss dubs Wagadhaany (dancer in Wiradjuri).
The book is rich with Wiradjuri language. There is a glossary at the back, but Heiss uses the language such that you can usually interpret meaning as you go. This is in fact the first book in Australia to be published with a First Nations language title, in this case Wiradjuri. It’s hopefully just the first of many. Given the centrality of language to the book, I would recommend listening to or watching an interview with Heiss just to get a sense of of how the beautiful Wiradjuri language sounds, and particularly to learn how to pronounce the book’s title and the names of its main characters.
The Boy from the Mish by Gary Longesborough
Another first – teenage fiction that centres on the experience of a Indigenous teenager coming to terms with his sexuality. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Being teenage fiction, it was pretty easy to read, but it also doesn’t shy away from the realities of growing up Aboriginal and gay in Australia. The love interest has been to ‘juvie’ and is in out of home care, the threat of being picked up by police is ever present, racism and homophobia (including internalised homophobia) are alive and well. Despite these pretty weighty themes, this book is also a joyful celebration of friendship, family, cultural reclamation and pride, creativity and, of course, first love.
Poetry
My focus on reading the work of First Nations writers extends to poetry and there is much to read.
Fire Front: First Nations Poetry and Power Today edited by Alison Whittaker
This collection is fantastic, featuring more traditional poems by renowned writers like Tony Birch, Ali Cobby Eckermann and Evelyn Araluen, as well as song lyrics from creators like AB Original and Baker Boy. The collection is split into five sections with an essay about the poems in that section by a noted academic, writer or creator. There are manyfantastic works in this collection. A selection of poems that struck a chord for me include:
- Municipal Gum by Oodgeroo Noonuccal
- The New Truth Anthem by Kevin Gilbert
- Invasion Day by Elizabeth Jarrett
Throat by Ellen van Neerven
Ellen van Neerven is a queer Mununjali Yugambeh writer whose poetry is quite unique. Van Neerven pushes boundaries, picks at accepted ideas and challenges non-Indigenous readers consistently. For example, in one section van Neerven invites you as reader to sign a contract with them as writer. This is not easy reading – there is a lot of mental work to do (and plenty of concrete work required too) – but please read the poems and do this work.
Two poems which I have re-read multiple times to whet your appetite:
- White Excellence
- Call a spade a spade (there is another excellent poem on this page ‘Women are still not being heard’)
Podcasts
I suppose this is Australia’s First Nations version of Conversations – I love it. Interviews with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people from all walks of life (authors, actors, sports people, journalists, business people) hosted by Mundanara Bayles. Definitely recommend checking it out.
Women’s Prize for Fiction podcast
I have become obsessed with podcasts about books this year, despite definitely not needing more book recommendations to add to my ‘to read list. I love the format of the ‘bookshelfie’ episodes – an author is interviewed and answers some questions about their live followed by sharing five key books and what they mean to them. Episodes with Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and Bernadine Evaristo were both wonderful.
TV shows
Back for series two, this drama is right up my alley – starring Deborah Mailman (Bidjara) and other fantastic Indigenous actors like Steph Tisdell (Ydinji) and Rob Collins (Tiwi Islander); directed by Wayne Blair (Batjala, Mununjali and Wakkawakka); made by Indigenous producers Blackfella Films; featuring music by Missy Higgins; and about an Aboriginal woman (Mailman’s character) in politics.
This show can be full on at times – the racism, online trolling and threats, the political games – but you can’t look away because the production values, the acting, the narrative are so compelling.
As I said above, I do not need more book recommendations to add to my ”to read list. And yet, here I am also watching and loving a TV show about books, specifically Australian books. While I have read quite a few of the books featured, there are many more I haven’t and so the list grows.
Each episode of this show focuses on a particular theme – people, place and the next is power. Prominent authors, commentators and other creatives feature providing commentary alongside wonderful narration by actor Claudia Karvan.
Australian Story: Grace Under Fire
I will listen to/consume pretty well anything Grace Tame says/does – she is so good at telling it like it is, speaking truth to power, cutting through – so of course I watched this episode of Australian Story about her year as Australian of the Year (although it’s not over yet). As always, powerful stuff and a reminder of the personal toll Tame doing all those things I just listed has taken and continues to take.
Self-care action
Working on forgiving myself. I shared a letter I wrote to myself here during November and I have been writing and meditating around this theme of forgiving myself. While I value reflection and learning from the past and its mistakes, the ‘what ifs’ and the self-flagellation they frequently generate aren’t helpful. There’s a quote (unclear who to ultimately attribute this to) which I keep coming back to: Forgiveness is letting go all hope of a better past. I think that sums it up.
Events
Women in Leadership Forum
This was a two day (plus cocktail evening) event for women in the Tasmanian State Service. Broadly, this was a most enjoyable event and a great opportunity. We had some great speakers including Grace Tame, Kath Morgan-Wicks (Secretary of Tasmania’s Department of Health), Ginna Webster (Secretary of Tasmania’s Department of Justice), Bec Thomas (Mayor of Glenorchy City Council, which happens to be my council) and many more. We also had a wonderful welcome to country from Janice Ross.
I loved getting to meet and network with other women across the State Service. It was particularly lovely putting faces to names of people from other departments who I work with regularly via email and phone calls but who I’d never met face to face.
It was also just nice having a change of pace – two days out of the office to reflect on my career and think about my values, my skills, my aspirations.
There are a couple of things about the forum I found problematic or that need further consideration:
- For further consideration – this was a forum for women. Where is the space for people in the State Service who don’t identify as women or men? Or non-binary colleagues?
- Problematic – we had a workshop on the ‘art and science of female leadership’ which made a lot of gender essentialist claims and generalisations which made me extremely uncomfortable. Not all men lead in the stereotypically masculine style, not all women lead in the stereotypically feminine style. Not all people are men or women. It’s related to the first point. We need to move beyond the binary.
Other events
This list features some usual suspects – a catch up with my former housemates, a hike with my brother and his fiance and a book club.
- Climate change crew event – machinery of government changes mean the end of one chapter in climate change work within Government in Tasmania and the beginning of a new one. There was a lovely event to mark this occasion at In The Hanging Garden which was really enjoyable and reminded me how special working in the climate change team was – they are some of the best, most caring, genuine people you’ll ever meet.
- Dinner with my former housemates at Annapurna Indian – always a pleasure catching up with these two. The sad news is one of them is moving back to Melbourne soon so catching up with these two approximately once a month, a feature of my life since moving out of our shared home in March, will soon be no longer. The other housemate and I will 100% still catch up, there are virtual ways to connect, and of course trips will be made between Melbourne and Hobart by all of us, but it is the end of another era.
- Waterworks, Pipeline Track and lunch at Fern Tree Tavern – this was a lovely outing with my brother and his fiance on a gorgeous sunny morning (see photos below). I’ve done this hike many times but never been to the Tavern. It was a hearty lunch in cosy environs – will definitely be going back again!
- Book club – as per usual, book club was a great end to the month. We went to the the Deck Hobart where we soaked in the late afternoon sunshine, chatted about a book we had some mixed feelings about and then chatted more about other stuff (typical book club).
Love, hope and peace from Emma.
Love Hope Peace 