Books, music, film and TV from Indigenous Australians
In recognition of Indigenous Literacy Day, we’ve compiled some collections of our favourite books, music, film and TV from Indigenous Australians. Happy browsing!
Indigenous Australian picture books
Welcome to Country is one of our favourite Indigenous Australian picture book released this year; children’s specialist Angela Crocombe says it ‘belongs on every home bookshelf and in every library’. Wurundjeri Elder Aunty Joy Murphy and Indigenous artist Lisa Kennedy have crafted a spectacular celebration of Indigenous land and culture that takes us through a Wominjeka (welcome) ceremony.
You can find more recommendations for Indigenous Australian picture books here.
Indigenous Australian junior and middle books
AFL legends Adam Goodes and Michael O'Loughlin are blood brothers and great mates. They are also two of the best footballers ever to play for the Sydney Swans. Between them, they played over 650 games and kicked over 900 goals. But have you ever wondered what Goodesy and Magic were like when they were kids? You can find out in Kicking Goals with Goodesy and Magic, in which Anita Heiss tells the story of their friendship.
You can find more recommendations for Indigenous Australian junior and middle books here.
Indigenous Australian young adult books
Songs That Sound Like Blood is a great coming-of-age story for aspiring teen musicians, filled with references to music genres, artists and songs. Author Jared Thomas is a Nukunu man from the Southern Flinders Ranges and, as he did with his award-winning YA novel Calypso Summer, here he again confronts the questions and contradictions that teenage Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people come across in their daily lives.
You can find more recommendations for Indigenous Australian young adult books here.
Indigenous Australian children’s non-fiction books
This is an older release but it continues to be just as significant today as when it was originally released. The Papunya School Book of Country and History is a unique collaboration involving the staff and students of Papunya School, working together with children’s writer Nadia Wheatley and artist Ken Searle that provides an account of the history of Western Desert communities from an Indigenous perspective.
You can find more recommendations for Indigenous Australian children’s non-fiction books here.
Indigenous Australian fiction
After the Carnage is a stunning new work of fiction from the author who gifted readers Swallow the Air back in 2006. Tara June Winch shares stories that range from New York to Istanbul, from Pakistan to Australia, charting the distances in their characters’ lives – whether they have grown apart from the ones they love, been displaced from their homeland, or are struggling to reconcile their dreams with reality.
You can find more recommendations for Indigenous Australian fiction here.
Indigenous Australian memoir and biography
Ngarta and Jukuna lived in the Great Sandy Desert and were used to traversing country according to the seasons – just as the Walmajarri people had done for thousands of years. But it was a time of change and as the large communities began to disperse, those left behind became more vulnerable. In 1961, Jukuna left with her new husband and Ngarta remained behind – this is their story. Two Sisters is presented in English and Walmajarri.
You can find more recommendations for Indigenous Australian memoir and biography here
Indigenous Australian non-fiction books
In Dark Emu: Black Seeds: Agriculture or Accident?, Bruce Pascoe argues against the ‘hunter, gatherer’ label that so many Australians associate with the history of Aboriginal people. He draws on the work of Bill Gammage, R. Gerritsen and others, as well as his own research, and his findings make for a strongly persuasive case. This notable non-fiction work recently won the NSW Premier’s Literary Award for Book of the Year.
You can find more recommendations for Indigenous Australian non-fiction here.
Indigenous Australian poetry
Sunset is the first collection of poetry by Maggie Walsh, a Bwcolgamon woman from Palm Island. Walsh writes from a deeply fractured place; she has spent many of her childhood years in the Dormitory and is still finding her family connections. Her poems are powerful, vibrant reflections of her life, and while they illustrate the hardships she has lived through, many also joyfully express her love for Country,
You can find more recommendations for Indigenous Australian poetry here.
Indigenous Australian musicians
We’ve loving this debut album from Stanley Gawurra Gaykamangu, an extraordinary Yolngu songwriter and musician from East Arnhem Land. Gawurra sings in the Gupapuynga language and Ratja Yaliyali (which roughly translates to ‘Vine of Love’) comprises one disc of original material and one of traditional songs.
You can find more recommendations for Indigenous Australian musicians here.
DVDS by and about Indigenous Australians
Based on a concept by Ryan Griffen, Cleverman is a gripping, original Aboriginal sci-fi series that hit our screens earlier this year and earned international recognition. The series weaves ancient Aboriginal stories into a post-apocalyptic world and follows a young indigenous man who is (reluctantly) gifted super powers. Griffen is a self-avowed fan of superheroes and genre storytelling, and has movingly spoken about how his son inspired him to create this show.
