Indigenous Literature Week 2020 at ANZ Litlovers
Cultural warning: Indigenous Australians are advised that some references in this blog include images or names of people now deceased.
For information about ILW 2020, click here.
Reviews
Thanks to everyone who is participating in 2020 Indigenous Literature Week – I hope that hosting this celebration helps to make more people aware of indigenous writing!
You are welcome to add your review/s early (or late). I will be monitoring this page until the end of July.
When you are ready to share your reviews, please use comments below:
Include
- your name & the name of your blog (if you have one) and the URL where your review is posted (your blog, or your GoodReads or Library Thing account).
(Please do not add Amazon consumer reviews because they generate intrusive Amazon ads and I don’t care to support Amazon advertising).
- If you don’t have a blog or a GoodReads/Library Thing account, then please share what you thought about the book you read in the comments section at the bottom of this post.
- Or, if you’d like to write a review of greater length, contact me at anzlitloversATbigpondDOTcom about writing a guest review to be hosted on the ANZ LitLovers blog.
I will gather these links to generate a list which will be added under the headings below on this page. I will also add any new titles that crop up to the permanent Indigenous Reading List.
PS If you haven’t signed up to participate yet, or want to know more about ILW, click on the link at the top of this page.
2020 Reviews (in alphabetical order by author)
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander authors
Firstly, check out this collection of children’s picture books by Brona at Brona’s books: perfect presents for the children in your life.
Tony Birch, born in Melbourne and an urban Koorie of Aboriginal, Irish and West Indian descent
- The White Girl, see Denise’s review at Denise Newton Writes
- Blood, see Emma’s review at Book Around the Corner
Claire G Coleman, who identifies with the South Coast Noongar people of Western Australia
- Terra Nullius, see Denise’s review at Denise Newton Writes
Gay’wu Group of Women (or ‘dilly bag women’s group’), consisting of Yolŋu women from north-east Arnhem Land in Australia’s far north, and non-Aboriginal women
- Song Spirals, see Denise’s review at Denise Newton Writes
Anita Heiss, member of the Wiradjuri nation of central New South Wales
- Not Meeting Mr Right, see Bill’s review at The Australian Legend
- Growing Up Aboriginal in Australia, see Bill’s review at The Australian Legend
Julie Janson, a Burruberongal woman of the Darug Aboriginal Nation
- Benevolence, see Lisa’s ANZ LitLovers review
Ambelina Kwaymullina and Ezekiel Kwaymullina, from the Palyku people of the Pilbara in Western Australia
- Catching Teller Crow, see Lisa’s ANZ LitLovers review
Melissa Lucashenko, of the Ygambeh/Bundjalung people of northern coastal New South Wales.
- Too Much Lip,
Harold Ludwick, a Bulgun Warra man from the Guugu Yimidhirr & Kuku Yalandji nations in far north Queensland, collaborating with Craig Cormick
- On a Barbarous Coast, see Lisa’s ANZ LitLovers review
Bruce Pascoe, of the Bunurong people in Victoria
- Dark Emu see Denise’s review at Denise Newton Writes
Archie Roach, born in Mooroopna in 1955. His family lived on the Framlingham Aboriginal Mission near Warrnambool. He is one of the Stolen Generations, taken as a child from his mother, Nellie, a Gunditjmara woman, and father, Archie, a Bundjalung man from New South Wales.
- Tell Me Why,
Kim Scott, of the Noongar people of the southern coast of Western Australia
- Taboo, see Denise’s review at Denise Newton Writes
Ellen Van Neerven, a writer of Mununjali and Dutch heritage who identifies with the Yugambeh people of the Gold Coast and Scenic Rim in Queensland
- Comfort Food, see Jonathan’s review at Me Fail? I Fly
- Throat, see Jonathan’s review at Me Fail? I Fly.
Ida West, a Tasmanian Aborigine, born on the Cape Barren Island Reserve
- Pride Against Prejudice, Reminiscences of a Tasmanian Aborigine, see Jennifer’s review at Tasmanian Bibliophile at Large
Tara June Winch, of the Wiradjuri people of New South Wales.
- The Yield,
- see Denise’s review at Denise Newton Writes
- see Jess’s review at Jessica White, author and researcher
Maori Authors
Witi Ihimaera of Te Aitanga-a-Mahaki descent
- The Matriarch, see Lisa’s ANZ LitLover’s review
And from elsewhere…
From Stu at Winston’s Dad, comes his review of A Glass Eye by Miren Agur Meabe, of the Basque region in Spain, translated by Amaia Gabantxo.
Further reading
- Monday musings on Australian literature: Indigenous Australian literature, 1970s
- Monday Musings: Early Indigenous Australian Literature, at Whispering Gums
- Monday Musings: Listen to Indigenous Australian Authors (links to podcasts)
- Monday musings on Australian literature: Indigenous Australian biographies
- Our Mob Served, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories of war and defending Australia, edited by Allison Cadzow and Mary Anne Jebb
- It’s Still in My Heart, This is My Country, by the South West Aboriginal Land and Sea Council, John Host with Chris Owen
- Celebrating NAIDOC: Voice, Treaty and Truth long overdue, by Mairi Neil at Up the Creek with a Pen
ANZ LitLovers LitBlog 
[…] the page for Reviews from Indigenous Literature Week at ANZ LitLovers 2020 so that you can use the comments box there […]
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By: Announcing 2020 Indigenous Literature Week at ANZ LitLovers | ANZ LitLovers LitBlog on June 4, 2020
at 1:53 pm
All Our Relations by Tanya Talaga
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By: Theresa Smith Writes on June 4, 2020
at 6:10 pm
[…] ANZ LitLovers Indigenous Literature Week […]
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By: Not Meeting Mr Right, Anita Heiss | theaustralianlegend on July 6, 2020
at 12:16 am
[…] was the start of Lisa’s (ANZLitLovers) 2020 Indigenous Literature Week, and, as I have done for a few years now, I’ve decided to devote my Monday Musings to an […]
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By: Monday musings on Australian literature: Indigenous Australian biographies | Whispering Gums on July 6, 2020
at 11:00 pm
Hi Lisa. I’ve just uploaded the first of two reviews. The other hopefully by Friday.
Jonathan Shaw, at Me fail? I Fly!, https://shawjonathan.com/2020/07/06/ellen-van-neervens-comfort-food/, review of Ellen van Neerven, Comfort Food
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By: shawjonathan on July 7, 2020
at 3:03 pm
Fantastic, Jonathan, I’ll add them to the reviews page:)
LikeLiked by 1 person
By: Lisa Hill on July 7, 2020
at 3:47 pm
[…] writer. His debut novel Blood is my third 20 Books of Summer billet and my contribution to Lisa’s Indigenous Literature Week. Lisa hosts this event to help readers discover Indigenous Literature, mostly from Australia and […]
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By: 20 Books of Summer #3: Blood by Tony Birch – Indigenous Literature Week | Book Around the Corner on July 7, 2020
at 3:29 pm
[…] writer. His debut novel Blood is my third 20 Books of Summer billet and my contribution to Lisa’s Indigenous Literature Week. Lisa hosts this event to help readers discover Indigenous Literature, mostly from Australia and […]
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By: 20 Books of Summer #3: Blood by Tony Birch – Indigenous Literature Week | Book Around the Corner on July 7, 2020
at 3:29 pm
Hi Lisa
Here’s my annual Indigenous picture book post – http://bronasbooks.blogspot.com/2020/07/indigenous-picture-books.html
I’m hoping to squeeze in a poetry post as well – fingers crossed.
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By: Brona on July 8, 2020
at 10:42 am
Yay, thanks Brona, I love seeing what’s new in PSBs, it almost makes me want to be back in the school library. Er… almost…
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By: Lisa Hill on July 8, 2020
at 10:46 am
Ditto with me & a preschool classroom 😌
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By: Brona on July 8, 2020
at 11:20 am
I was hoping to review Alexis Wright’s Plains of Promise for Indigenous Literacy Week 2020, but sadly I haven’t yet finished reading it. I can tell you it has a powerful beginning, with life on an Aboriginal mission told from many different perspectives in multiple voices. It is a difficult book to read – violent and affecting – and it rewards slow reading.
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By: AgnesBosanquet on July 12, 2020
at 6:20 pm
Hi Agnes, that’s one I haven’t read yet myself. But I’m not surprised to hear that it’s not easy, her novels aren’t easy either, though worth it.
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By: Lisa Hill on July 12, 2020
at 7:17 pm
Hi Lisa,
Thanks again for organising this! I have just posted on The Yield by Tara June Winch: http://www.jessicawhite.com.au/ladyredjess/2020/7/12/review-of-the-yield-by-tara-june-winch
Cheers,
Jess.
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By: Jess White on July 12, 2020
at 7:07 pm
[…] Lisa’s (ANZLitLovers) annual Indigenous Literature Week is officially over for 2020, I thought I’d bookend it with a second Monday Musings, this one […]
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By: Monday musings on Australian literature: Indigenous Australian literature, 1970s | Whispering Gums on July 13, 2020
at 11:46 pm
[…] ANZ LitLovers Indigenous Literature Week […]
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By: Growing Up Aboriginal in Australia, Anita Heiss ed. | theaustralianlegend on July 15, 2020
at 2:19 pm
Hi Lisa. Here’s my second review, only a week late!
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By: shawjonathan on July 17, 2020
at 3:56 pm
And well worth waiting for, thank you Jonathan!
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By: Lisa Hill on July 18, 2020
at 2:42 pm
[…] I hope so, because Lisa has had to wait a long time for a review from me for this year’s Indigenous Literature Week. Finally, though, I finished the main book I chose for this year’s challenge, Archie […]
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By: Archie Roach, Tell me why: The story of my life and my music (#BookReview) | Whispering Gums on July 25, 2020
at 11:00 pm
Finally, I did it. I had planned to read two, but the second one will have to wait, I’m afraid. Here is my review of Archie Roach’s memoir, Tell me why, read because my brother gave it to me for my birthday: https://whisperinggums.com/2020/07/25/archie-roach-tell-me-why-the-story-of-my-life-and-my-music-bookreview/
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By: whisperinggums on July 25, 2020
at 11:05 pm
Nice brother! How does he know not to give you books you already have? Do you drop hints, or is it just brotherly intuition?
It’s a beautiful review so you can thank him from me too x
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By: Lisa Hill on July 26, 2020
at 2:59 pm
He’s a great brother! Mostly he gives me Tasmanian authors. Even though some are known on the Mainland, like Heather Rose, I rarely already have them if they are very new releases. I try to give him unusual translated works or less promoted Aussie works. Mostly we manage to get it right, but his independent bookstore will usually exchange books if he has one already. I can’t remember the last time we duplicated. It has happened, but very rarely.
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By: whisperinggums on July 26, 2020
at 5:19 pm
Lucky you:)
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By: Lisa Hill on July 26, 2020
at 9:50 pm
:) I think so.
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By: whisperinggums on July 26, 2020
at 10:01 pm
[…] Week, and did write two posts back in July, anyhow, to align with Lisa’s ANZLitLovers’ Indigenous Literature Week. But, I wanted to also honour this year’s actual week, so decided to let Baird be my […]
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By: Monday musings on Australian literature: “You don’t walk away until the work is done” | Whispering Gums on November 9, 2020
at 11:00 am
[…] also took part in Lisa’s (ANZLitLovers) Indigenous Literature and Thea Astley weeks, Bill’s (The Australian Legend) AWW Gen 3 Week, and, more casually, […]
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By: Blogging highlights for 2020 | Whispering Gums on January 3, 2021
at 9:30 pm