Afloat

Title: Afloat
Authors: Kirli Saunders & Freya Blackwood
Publisher: Hardie Grant Children's Publishing

Shortlist: Indigenous Writing

Roam the water with me. We are here to learn.

Here to spin wisdom, to grow …

 

From award-winning Gunai author Kirli Saunders and seven-time CBCA-winner Freya Blackwood comes Afloat, a story told in a time of climate crisis. Against a backdrop of a changed environment, an Elder leads a child along the waterways, sharing her People's knowledge and gathering community along the way.

Afloat is an uplifting and inspiring picture book that uses the practice of weaving as a powerful metaphor for the honouring and teaching of First Nations wisdom, and the coming together of all people to survive, thrive and create a more hopeful future.

Judges’ report

Afloat is a tender children's book with a timely message about climate and connection. Kirli Saunders' words dance across Freya Blackwood's ethereal illustrations, where a First Nations Elder guides a young one through various suburban scenes. Gathering weaving materials beside the river, the protagonists meet people whose stories are woven together into something fantastical. Blackwood's illustrations are instantly recognisable, yet still seem to float off the page, while Saunders' sparse, considered prose gently insists we pay attention to what's coming. From suburbia to the stars, a deep respect for First Nations’ knowledge and for listening to one another thread together this new community. 

Extract

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About the Authors

Photo by Tad Souden

Kirli Saunders

Freya Blackwood

VPLA book photography by Sarah Walker

The 2025 Victorian Premier’s Literary Awards are proudly supported by the Victorian Government through the Community Support Fund and Creative Victoria.