AIATSIS: Blak in books

Fierce and Free – yarning with Ellen van Neerven

Ellen van Neerven is an award-winning author, editor and educator of Mununjali (Yugambeh language group) and Dutch heritage. Join them and host, Lisa Fuller, as they discuss their journey to editing and writing, changes they’ve seen in the industry since they began working in it many years ago, and what still needs to happen to encourage safer spaces for First Nations creatives. Ellen brings a wealth of experience and thoughtful consideration to these and many other issues.

Unlocking the imagination – yarning with Gary Lonesborough

Gary Lonesborough is a Yuin writer, whose debut young adult (YA) novel, The Boy From the Mish, has won multiple awards. With its release in 2021, he announced himself on the literary scene as a proud, queer Aboriginal man from New South Wales. Gary yarns with fellow YA writer, Lisa Fuller, about representation, and why it’s so important for young people to see themselves in works. As a relative newcomer to the industry, he also discusses his experiences within that, what it means to have his own voice out in the world, and why control over how we’re represented in literature is so important.

Yarning with highly-accomplished Torres Strait Islander creatives Jasmin McGaughey and Rhianna Patrick.

Aboriginal writers are getting a lot of attention and recognition for their work right now. But currently there is only one full-length work of fiction by a Torres Strait Islander person available, and that was released in 2005. Why aren’t there more Torres Strait Islander writers being published even now? What are the barriers to their equitable participation in the industry? Join your host, Lisa Fuller, yarning with highly-accomplished Torres Strait Islander creatives Jasmin McGaughey and Rhianna Patrick. They’ll take on these difficult questions, and more, including why Torres Strait Islander voices are so desperately needed in novel length fiction, and what can be done to support more writers get their voices heard.