Indigenous Australian literature
 | This article is missing information about oral traditions (discussion at Talk:Indigenous Australians#Oral tradition). (November 2024) |
Indigenous Australian literature is the fiction, plays, poems, essays and other works authored by
While a letter written by
History
Whether or not Indigenous Australian message sticks constitute writing is still a matter of scholarly debate.[1] However, because message sticks are made of wood, which is extremely rarely preserved in the Australian climate, none from before colonisation have survived.[1] Thus, the first literary accounts of Aboriginal people come from the journals of early European explorers, which contain descriptions of first contact.[2]
A letter to Governor Arthur Phillip written by Bennelong in 1796 is the first known work written in English by an Aboriginal person.[3]
While his father,
The
Oodgeroo Noonuccal (1920–1993) was a famous Aboriginal poet, writer and rights activist credited with publishing the first Aboriginal book of verse: We Are Going (1964).[6]
There was a flourishing of Aboriginal literature from the 1970s through to the 1990s, coinciding with a period of political advocacy and focus on
However a conservative backlash occurred under John Howard's government (1996 to 2007), causing a period of decline for Aboriginal publishing that was to last until the mid to late 2010s.[7]
Contemporary literature
Wiradjuri writer and academic Anita Heiss has edited a collection of Aboriginal literature that spans from 1796 until 2008,[9] as well as a guide for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander writers.[10]
Leading Aboriginal activists Marcia Langton (First Australians documentary TV series, 2008) and Noel Pearson (Up from the Mission, 2009) are contemporary contributors to Australian non-fiction. Other voices of Indigenous Australians include the playwright Jack Davis and Kevin Gilbert.
The First Nations Australia Writers Network was founded in 2013 with Kerry Reed-Gilbert as inaugural chair, to support and advocate for Indigenous writers. During the early 21st century, Heiss, Sandra Phillips and Jeanine Leane were important voices in promoting Aboriginal publishing.[7]
Writers coming to prominence in the 21st century include
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women writers have also been well represented in the
Poetry
Poets such as
Online repositories
- AustLit's BlackWords project provides a comprehensive listing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander writers and storytellers, past and present.[15]
- The Living Archive of Aboriginal Languages contains works written in traditional languages of the Northern Territory.
Notable authors
Further reading
- Mudrooroo (1997). Indigenous Literature of Australia: Milli Milli Wangka. South Melbourne, Victoria, Australia: Hyland House. OCLC 37488798.
- Saunders, Mykaela, ed. (2022). This All Come Back Now: An Anthology of First Nations Speculative Fiction. St Lucia, Queensland, Australia: University of Queensland Press. OCLC 1293838925.
- Wheeler, Belinda, ed. (2013). A Companion to Australian Aboriginal Literature. Rochester, New York, USA: Camden House. OCLC 852158554.
- Althans, Katrin (2010). Darkness Subverted: Aboriginal Gothic in Black Australian Literature and Film. Representations & Reflections. Goettingen, Germany: V&R unipress GmbH: Bonn University Press. OCLC 505424133.
- Mukherjee, Riya (2024). Citizenship in Dalit and Indigenous Australian Literatures. Routledge. OCLC 1381208006.
See also
- Australian literature
- List of Indigenous Australian writers
- Category:Indigenous Australian writers
- Contemporary Indigenous Australian art
- Indigenous music of Australia
- Tasmanian literature
- Tasmanian gothic
- Fijian literature
- Hawaiian literature
- New Zealand literature
- Papua New Guinean literature
- Samoan literature
- Tongan literature
- Indigenous literatures in Canada
- Native American literature
References
- ^ S2CID 198687425.
- ^ Genoni, Paul (2004). Subverting the Empire: Explorers and Exploration in Australian Fiction. Altona, VIC: Common Ground.
- ^ Maher, Louise (8 August 2013). "Treasure Trove: Bennelong's letter". 666 ABC Canberra. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 6 January 2020.
- ^ Jenkin, Graham (1979). Conquest of the Ngarrindjeri. Adelaide: Rigby.
- ^ "Documenting Democracy". Archived from the original on 1 June 2011. Retrieved 2 June 2011.
- ^ (in English) "Modern Australian poetry". Ministère de la culture. Archived from the original on 10 April 2011. Retrieved 26 December 2017.
- ^ a b c d e Story, Hannah (26 May 2021). "First Nations women and non-binary writers are making waves in Australian poetry". ABC News. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 29 May 2021.
- ^ Eye to Eye: Women Practising Development Across Cultures. p. 210.
- ^ Macquarie PEN Anthology of Aboriginal Literature
- ^ Dhuuluu-Yala: To Talk Straight
- ^ "2019 Miles Franklin Literary Award shortlist unveiled | Perpetual". www.perpetual.com.au. Retrieved 13 August 2019.
- ^ Tracker
- ^ "Announcing the Winner of the 2019 Stella Prize". The Stella Prize. Retrieved 13 August 2019.
- ^ Story, Hannah (28 April 2022). ""An insane honour": Young First Nations poet wins $60,000 prize for women and non-binary writers". ABC News. Retrieved 1 May 2022.
- ^ "BlackWords". AustLit. University of Queensland.
External links
- Priority Languages Support Project Archived 24 February 2021 at the Wayback Machine (First Languages Australia)
- BlackWords, AustLit
- black&write, State Library of Queensland