Warning: This post contains references to Aboriginal people who are now deceased. The books and links referred to in this post may also contain references and images of deceased Aboriginal people. Each July, book blogger Lisa Hill encourages bloggers to review books written by indigenous authors from around the world. She chooses 'Indigenous Literature Week' to coincide with … [Read more...] about A Lesson in Life: Book Review of Auntie Rita
Writing
National Reconciliation Week Review: Pictures from my memory
It is Reconciliation Week this week. An important aspect of the act of reconciliation in Australia is non-indigenous Australians listening, pondering and accepting the experiences of the first Australians. There are many ways we can participate. I chose to read the recently published memoir of a woman from the centre of Australia - Lizzie Marrkilyi Ellis. Lizzie Marrkilyi … [Read more...] about National Reconciliation Week Review: Pictures from my memory
Refugees: Custodians of a Nation’s History
The people we share a train carriage with on the way to work, the hundreds we pass in a busy shopping centre, all these people carry a story within them. Each story is changing, developing and interlinked with others. Each story is a multi-faceted tile that helps to build the complex, mosaic of human life on this planet. Fortunately for us Brisbane resident, Manijeh Saatchi, … [Read more...] about Refugees: Custodians of a Nation’s History
Pause, Reflect and Share on Book Giveaway Entries
The 200th post book giveaway has been run and won. Congratulations to the winners James, Jo, Robyn and Helen! Thank you to everyone for your entries and a big thank you to the publishers – Magabala Books, NewSouth Press, Text Publishing and UQP Books for supporting the competition. These and many other publishers are great supporters of historical writing in Australia. As a … [Read more...] about Pause, Reflect and Share on Book Giveaway Entries
Review: Finding Eliza by Larissa Behrendt
Larissa Behrendt has written a nuanced and engrossing book about colonial attitudes as they operated through a particular Australian colonial ‘captivity tale’. Using the story told by Eliza Fraser who was helped by the Aboriginal people of Fraser Island after surviving a ship wreck in 1836, Behrendt turns the colonial gaze back on itself to examine the motives, the fears and … [Read more...] about Review: Finding Eliza by Larissa Behrendt