The First Nations Classics series ranges across genres, including memoir, novels, short stories and poetry. Showcasing a number of Unaipon Award winners, the series is inspired by the richness and cultural importance of First Nations writing, and the longstanding role UQP has had in publishing those works. It aims to bring new readers and renewed attention to some brilliant, timeless books that are as important, engaging and relevant today as they ever were on first publication.
The First Nations Classics series is a gathering of our most prominent Indigenous voices who continuously, as they have always done, revive the literary landscape of this continent. Discover the inspiring and moving stories which have been added to the collection below with First Nations Classics: Series Three.
To celebrate NAIDOC Week and the third instalment of First Nations Classics, The Wheeler Centre, in partnership with Blak & Bright and University of Melbourne Arts and Culture, presents Strength, Vision, Legacy: Blak Classics Reborn.
Aboriginal Women by Degrees
by MaryAnn Bin-Sallik (with an introduction by Amy Thunig-McGregor)
From a unique personal perspective, thirteen women tell of their journeys towards the significant achievement of a university degree. Although from different backgrounds, language groups and experiences, these women share the common thread of Aboriginal heritage. Some combined their studies with the challenge of family responsibilities while others pursued academic degrees as younger students. Their various paths to achieving their degrees led them to universities across Australia and even, for some, to prestigious Harvard University.
Humorous, reflective and proud, these voices speak of youthful aspirations, of family sacrifice and support, and of triumphant achievement. These are stories that illuminate the rich diversity of Aboriginal lives in contemporary Australia.
Swallow the Air
by Tara June Winch (with an introduction by Yasmin Smith)
When May’s mother dies suddenly, she and her brother Billy are taken in by Aunty. However, their loss leaves them both searching for their place in a world that doesn’t seem to want them. While Billy takes his own destructive path, May sets out to find her father and her Aboriginal identity. Her journey leads her from the Australian east coast to the far north, but it is the people she meets, not the destinations, that teach her what it is to belong.
Swallow the Air is an unforgettable story of living in a torn world and finding the thread to help sew it back together.
Broken Dreams
by Bill Dodd (with an introduction by Gayle Kennedy)
When eighteen-year-old Bill Dodd dived into the Maranoa River his life changed in an instant. This young larrikin had enjoyed many adventures as a stockman on a remote cattle station; now he was a quadriplegic. His boxing, running and football days were over, and he would never ride his beloved horses again. Bill's story begins with a high-spirited childhood in smalltown Queensland, a time of youthful humour and energy. The sudden death of his stockman father affects Bill deeply and he rebels, before himself choosing the exciting life of an apprentice stockman. Waking up in the intensive care spinal unit, he faces the consequences of his accident and slowly builds a new life.
Dancing Home
by Paul Collis (with an introduction by Samuel Wagan Watson)
‘When he was in gaol, he’d begun to prepare himself for the fight of his life, a showdown with the policeman, McWilliams … he’d face life with death, and see who blinked first.’
Blackie and Rips are fresh out of prison when they set off on a road trip back to Wiradjuri country with their mate Carlos. Blackie is out for revenge against the cop who put him in prison on false grounds. He is also craving to reconnect with his grandmother’s country.
Driven by his hunger for drugs and payback, Blackie reaches dark places of both mystery and beauty as he searches for peace. Moreover he is willing to pay for that peace with his own life.