Blak, Loud and Proud: First Nations Classics 2024
Join some of this continent’s boldest Blak voices and keep the fire burning as we celebrate the latest instalment of the First Nations Classics series.
About the Event
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander writers have been sharing stories on this continent for millennia. From best-selling and award-winning poetry, memoir and fiction to powerful works that defy categorisation, Blak writing depicts, challenges and honours culture, community and Country. Much-loved books by First Nations writers stand strong on shelves in homes, libraries, bookshops and classrooms – but there are always more books and writers to be discovered and rediscovered.
In 2023, University of Queensland Press (UQP) introduced its First Nations Classics series to amplify Blak voices in the literary canon. This NAIDOC Week, celebrate the second instalment of First Nations Classics with some of the remarkable authors and contributors involved in the series.
Hear from acclaimed writers Larissa Behrendt, Fiona Foley, Claire G. Coleman and Dylan Coleman, with host Tony Birch and a special performance by Tamala Shelton, as they celebrate the sharing of First Nations storytelling through the generations.
This event honours the 2024 NAIDOC Week theme, ‘Keep the Fire Burning! Blak, Loud and Proud’ and the enduring strength and vitality of First Nations cultures.
Presented in partnership with Blak & Bright
Tickets
Full $29
Concession $20
Tickets for First Nations audiences are free
Full ticket + Book Pack* $173
Concession ticket + Book Pack* $164
*includes a copy of each of the eight First Nations Classics books available for collection at the event, 10% discount off RRP.
Members can save 10% on tickets to this event. Find out more here.
Accessibility
Accessible toilets available
Assistive Listening
Auslan interpreting available by request
Companion tickets available
Registered Assistance Animals welcome
Wheelchair accessible
For information regarding accessibility at The Wheeler Centre, click here.
Please notify us of all access requirements when booking online so we can assist you with your visit. If you require further information, please contact ticketing@wheelercentre.com.
About the Books
Published by UQP, the First Nations Classics: Series Two welcomes eight more titles to this line-up of iconic Indigenous voices that have shaped this country’s literary landscape.
Finding Eliza: Power and Colonial Storytelling
Larissa Behrendt, introduced by Fiona Foley
Dreaming in the Urban Areas
Lisa Bellear, introduced by Kirli Saunders
Bitin’ Back
Vivienne Cleven, introduced by Melissa Lucashenko
Mazin Grace
Dylan Coleman, introduced by Claire G Coleman
Is That You, Ruthie?
Ruth Hegarty, introduced by Jackie Huggins
Me, Antman & Fleabag
Gayle Kennedy, introduced by Jared Thomas
Smoke Encrypted Whispers
Samuel Wagan Watson, introduced by Tony Birch
Plains of Promise
Alexis Wright, introduced by Mykaela Saunders
The bookseller for this event is Amplify Bookstore.
Featuring
Larissa Behrendt AO is the Laureate Fellow at Jumbunna Research, UTS. She is an award winning author and filmmaker and the host of Speaking Out on ABC Radio.
Dr Fiona Foley is from the Wondunna clan of the Badtjala nation. Foley exhibits regularly in Australia and internationally. In 2014 she was the recipient of an Australia Council Visual Arts Award. She is a regular keynote speaker at conferences and symposia all over the world. Most recently she conv... Read more
Claire G. Coleman is a Noongar woman whose family have belonged to the south coast of Western Australia since long before history started being recorded. Claire writes fiction, essays, poetry and art writing while either living in Naarm (Melbourne) or on the road. During an extended circuit of the c... Read more
Dylan Coleman is a Kokatha Aboriginal-Greek woman from the far west coast of South Australia. She is the award-winning author of Mazin Grace and has a PhD in creative writing from the University of Adelaide, where she teaches Indigenous health at Yaitya Purruna Indigenous Health Unit. Mazin Grace... Read more
Tony Birch is the author of four novels, five short fiction collections, and two poetry books. His most recent book is the novel, Women and Children (UQP). ... Read more
Tamala Shelton is a proud Bundjalung and Lama Lama actor, audiobook narrator, writer and spoken word artist based in Naarm (Melbourne). She has been working professionally in the creative arts industries for over 10 years and has recently begun her journey as a spoken word performer.
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