Thank you Bundaberg!

I’m very good at finding the best in a person or a place. But I didn’t have to look very hard to find the best of everything when I visited Bundaberg recently. From the minute I touched down at the airport and was met by Sue Gammon – Acting Library Manager for Bundaberg Regional Libraries  – I couldn’t wait to get amongst the local community and knew I was in for an extraordinary few days. That’s Sue and I above proudly spruiking the National Year of Reading!

Having never visited the city before, I was wide-eyed for the entire time I was there and I have a bit of a travel blog for you coming in a few days time. Today though, I just wanted to express my absolute and heartfelt gratitude to all the library staff, the local Bundy Writers’ Group, Gerardine from Dymocks Bundy (pictured above) and all the local readers who came along to the library for a yarn about books and writing. I had a ball and was wowed by the library space with its soon-to-be-opened café on site, which will raise money for the local hospital. I understand the slogan for the café will be: ‘Have a cuppa and save a life!’

The morning after my library shin-dig, I was blessed to spend time with students at Bundaberg South State School, where Years 3, 4 and 5 (picture above and below) gave new meaning to the concept of being enthusiastic about reading. You can see the passion in the raised arms all wanting to share their favourite book, where they most liked to read, and where someone like me should visit as a tourist. 

 

Phew, I was exhausted after only an hour but headed upstairs to Years 6 and 7 (pictured below) for a quick writers workshop where the students brainstormed the best things about Bundy, and set about writing limericks. Another delightful and energetic bunch meant I was ready for some Bundaberg Ginger Beer and a lie down shortly afterwards.

Meeting beautiful souls wasn’t over though, as I was an invited speaker at the 2012 Rotary District 9570 Conference hosted by the Rotary Club of Bundaberg East. With literacy a key issue targeted by Rotary, I was pleased to be able to share the workings of the Indigenous Literacy Foundation  with Rotary members from around the region. I’m thankful for the interest they all showed in the ILF and look forward to seeing partnerships and fundraising events take shape over the coming months. A shout out also to the Channel 7 cameraman who got in may face, up my nose and into the back of my head, as pictured below. Lucky we both had a good sense  of humour!

 

Finally, as an added bonus to meeting the locals, I got to catch up with a friend who is in the sky more than I am... well almost. Robyne Forester happened to fly in and out from her home in Canberra the same time I was there, so was great to have a coffee and a chin wag! Oh, she also bought out Dymocks as you can see below!

Thank you Bundaberg, I look forward to returning and yarning some more and shortly, I’ll post my tips on a great holiday experience to be had up your way.

Thank you Melbourne!

I’ve always loved visiting Melbourne. Of course there’s fantastic shopping and delish food, even if the place is lacking in the kinds of beaches that keep me in Sydney. But I digress, as I often do.

I DO love Melbourne, and no more than this past week when I visited to speak at the Wheeler Centre alongside my friend Martin Flanagan; the man who has taught me to write with conviction and from the heart always.

After a few false starts, I was thrilled, humbled and driven to tears to see and experience an outpouring of support and friendship at the WC, and I’d like to take this opportunity to acknowledge the 300+ audience who came along to share, engage and better understand the purpose of my new book.

I am grateful to the staff of the Wheeler Centre lead by the wonderful Michael Williams. Thanks also to the organisations represented there on the night including Melbourne University, Amnesty International, the Koori Heritage Trust, the Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service, as well as local librarians, writers, publishers and members of the general public. YOU ALL ROCK!

To my beautiful tiddas pictured below, it’s a blessing to share not only the writing journey, but life’s path generally. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Many thanks also to Margarita Windisch for her open letter to the Green Left Weekly the following day. WOW!

Melbourne it really is hard not to love you. I’ll be back in June yarning about education, Reconciliation and identity at Trinity Grammar School. I  might see if I can get some of that great shopping and food in while I am there!

Thank you Sydney!

Yes I know this blog is way late, and I won’t even use the excuse that I’m on Koori time, it’s just that I’ve been flat-out, like everyone else. But, even when I don’t write a blog expressing it, I do actually stop every day and note in my head the people, conversations, kind acts and so forth that I am grateful for.  I simply can’t go another day without writing down my thanks for the wonderful community who came along to celebrate the release of Am I Black Enough for You? in Sydney earlier this month.

Thanks first up to my lawyerly and loyal friend Robynne Quiggin (that’s her above in the gorgeous frock which I may have to borrow at some point if can drop a few kilos and squeeze into it). My dear Wiradjuri sista did the honours of launching the book for me at the State Library of NSW in their stunning ‘Galleries’ space. Robynne’s speech was warm, insightful, generous, and funny! Aside from talking about stereotypes and the history of defining Aboriginal people, Robynne also commented about our friendship, and that given we both speak at length each morning and evening while driving to and from our jobs, it’s an absolute miracle neither if us has rear-ended another vehicle! I’m touching wood just as I write this now!

Also there on the night were two of my dear friends who flew in especially to be there. Jake Reid travelled from tropical Cairns, and Kerry Reed-Gilbert surprised me from not-so-tropical Canberra. Both women (pictured below) appear in the book, and it seemed beautifully right that they were there with me.

 

I am grateful to all my family who were there and who sent messages, and to my dear friends some visiting from as far away as the UK, other friends I knew in a former life working for government in Canberra in the early 1990s. I am truly grateful that we are still walking this path together. Thank you!

A shout out finally to all the oranisations represented at the event including but not limited to Gadigal Information Services / Koori Radio 93.9FM, the National Centre for Indigenous Excellence http://www.ncie.org.au/  the Sydney Writers’ Festival, the Australia Council for the Arts, the Indigenous Literacy Foundation and of course my fabulous publisher Random House Australia. 

Thank you! Merci! 감사합니다, Grazzi! Gracias! Teşekkür ederim! Terima kasih! Danke! Asante!

Why I'm an Official Supporter of National Reconciliation Week 2012

This year I am honoured to be an Official Supporter of National Reconciliation Week   (NRW). The theme is ‘Let’s Talk Recognition’ and from 27 May- 3 June I’m going to have some fabulous guest bloggers here including Olympian Patrick Johnson,  author Jessica Rudd, blogger Luke Pearson, and deadly supporter of Reconciliation, Jill Biddington. Each have generously agreed to talk about why they are grateful for reconciliation and why the process is important to them. I’m looking forward to reading their words. I hope you are too!

In the meantime, here's a short interview I’ve done with Reconciliation Australia on this year’s theme:

Do you believe that recognition is an important part of reconciliation? And if so, why is recognition so important? 

I’m proud to be an official supporter of NRW 2012 because I have seen first hand the sense of unity and inspiration created when individuals become part of a communal process that demonstrates respect for Australia’s First Peoples. Recognition means we are valued as citizens, as Australians, and to me that’s major step towards reconciliation in this country.

How does it make you feel when you are recognized for who you are and what you do? 

When I am recognised for who I am and what I do, particularly at a community level, it reminds me of my purpose in life. Sometimes we all need that acknowledgement, that affirmation that what we do is important, that our existence means something to someone else.

Why is it important for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to be recognised for their contributions, particularly during events like NRW?  

I personally feel that for much of the year, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are mostly invisible in terms of our positive and generous contributions to Australian society. NRW is at least a concentrated effort to say: ‘Hang on, wait a minute, look at all these amazing people, initiatives and cultures that are available for the whole country to enjoy and engage with. But it’s also the flow on effect of the week that I also look forward to.

What does reconciliation mean to you, and why do you support it?

To me reconciliation means coming together to focus on the positives that bind us, but also the shared effort required to keep us tight as a whole community.

This National Reconciliation Week it couldn’t be any easier to get involved, just head to the NRW site and go crazy with what’s possible.

Thank you Brisbane!

This is a belated but heart-felt thank you to all the Brisbane community who recently came out to celebrate the release of Am I Black Enough for You?  On March 30, I spent the day yarning with Karen Dorante (98.9FM), Andrew Bartlett (4ZZZ), Rhianna Patrick(ABC, pictured above) and Moyd and Lorretta (4BC pictured below). Then it was a quick costume change before a wonderful night at one of my all-time favourite bookshops. Yes, you guessed it, Avid Reader in West End hosts the best book parties and literary conversations I’ve been privy to in recent years, and as tradition would have it, Avid is where we launched my memoir on identity into the world.

  

Hosted by author and Avid event organiser Ms Krissy Kneen (pictured above) we were all treated to the conversational skills of broadcaster Mr Paul Barclay from Big Ideas Radio National (below). Don’t tell him but I think he’s a bit of a dish!

For me the highlight of the night was the realisation that I only knew about 10% of the audience there. Usually I know almost everyone (family, friends, colleagues), but on that mild Friday night there was a whole new group of Australian readers interested in engaging with the topic of identity. It was one of the most amazing, warm, intelligent events I’ve been part of as a writer, and I am grateful to those who popped in, sat, listened, laughed, cringed and even bought books!

And THEN on Sunday, the place where I would LOVE to work – the State Library of Queensland – specifically the kuril dhagun Indigenous Knowledge Centre, hosted a forum on the topic of colour and what it means to be black. Organised by the deadly Nadine McDonald-Down and chaired by the delightful Rhianna Patrick (she is in demand always) we were all treated to a fabulous performance by Steven Oliver who wowed the audience with his poetic recitations on what identity means (it will be published her shortly), while well-known actor Michael Tuahine posed the question: ‘Can you not judge me for my success?’

With a huge Murri turnout it was an inspiring way to spend a Sunday afternoon, and once asking all the Indigenous people in the audience to raise their hand, it was clear by looking at the range of shades of colour, that it really didn’t play any role at all in defining Indigeneity in Australia today. And therein lies the answer to the big question!

Finally, to all the Twitter-pals, Facebook friends, extended-family-aunties-and-uncles and booklovers alike, thank you for being part of my journey.  And for all that support, I just want to say I am truly grateful!

Why I love THE FAMILY LAW!

This is not a review of Benjamin Law’s book, rather, just a few words on why the story of his family growing up on the Sunshine Coast made me gasp with laughter (and shock) to the point I could not put the book down. I also picked it up at a time when I was feeling blue and the work lifted me to a wonderful high again.

The Family Law  is a series of incredibly personal, shockingly detailed and often hilarious anecdotes about Ben growing up as the third of five children to Chinese parents. We are generously welcomed into their home, their intimate conversations, holidays abroad and everyday lives. Most significantly, we get a window into Ben’s memories of his youth, not being as blokey as his older brother, living through his parent’s breakup including the practicalities around weekend visits with his father to every possible theme park on the coast. We are also given an insight into the story of realising his own sexuality (possibly first made obvious at a family fashion-parade where he took a shine to the tights!)

But the fun begins on the first page! I mean you’ve got to love a book that opens with a chapter on the Law family’s personally created dictionary, which includes Mum’s own word for ‘scrotum’ and the phrase ‘commence seduction’, which must be said with ‘robot movements’.

Ben uses his own brand of humour to deal with stereotypes, for example, “Despite being Asian, you’ve never been any good at maths!" But then proceeds to do some serious statistical work at the age of eleven, when he lies awake at night working out the odds of meeting  a gay man who he can love, and who will love him back. The numbers were incredible and of course, many of us lie awake at night wondering that same thing in terms of meeting the right one to love! I’ll see if Ben can work out the hetero stats as well!

A friend of mine stayed over from New York last week. She finished the book in a night, she couldn’t put it down either.

If you’re like me, a part of you will wish you could hang out with the Law family long after you’ve finished the book! 

The Family Lawwas my 20^th book in my 52 books in 52 weeks reading challenge during  in this year’s National Year of Reading!

Ten Indigenous kids books for Easter!

Do the kids in your life a favour this Easter; fill them with the joy of reading rather than filling them up with chocolate! Here’s a short list of some of my favourite Indigenous-authored books … Happy Easter!

Once There Was A Boy 

Dingo’s Tree 

The Grumpy Lighthouse Keeper 

 

Staircase to the Moon 

 

The Snake and the Boy 

Wandihnu and the Old Dugong 

 

Old Frangipani Tree 

 For older kids

The Chainsaw File 

 

Njunjul The Sun

 

Jali Boy