What bloggers, vloggers, and podcasters can do to support Indigenous books - final guest post by Ambelin Kwaymullina

This is the final post in a series I’ve been doing to answer questions I’m often asked about what people can do to support Indigenous books (which is to say books written or co-written by Indigenous people). And I’d like to begin this one with a thank you to bloggers, for two reasons. The first is that I am a YA author and without the blog-o-sphere there would be ludicrously few reviews of YA books in Australia (and virtually none of works by Australian YA writers). The second is that I am conscious of the work that bloggers have already done to draw attention to overlooked books, including those by Indigenous and other diverse writers. But I am going to ask you to do more, for the same reason that you started a book blog in the first place – because you love stories, and there is a whole world out there of Indigenous narratives waiting to be discovered.

1.     Review the books! They’ll be harder to find and you probably won’t get review copies in the mail. Works by Indigenous writers are more likely to be published by smaller and specialist presses which do not have the resources of the larger publishers – so sourcing the narratives might well require a trip to the library, borrowing from a friend or spending your own money (if you have some spare!). As to where you can find books by Indigenous writers, here are some suggestions:

a.     Check out the catalogues of Indigenous publishers (such as Magabala Books, IAD Press and Aboriginal Studies Press). Move on from there to looking at other publishers and discovering what Indigenous authors they have;

b.     Take a look at the Blackwords database on the Austlit site;

c.      Find out what Indigenous writing you can access online for free – for example, the Indigenous edition of Westerly, and Writing Black: New Indigenous Writing from Australia.

2.     Read the books and encourage others to do so – take part in book challenges that focus on Indigenous writers, or make a challenge of your own.

3.     Be conscious of how you review and talk about Indigenous books (and indeed books by other diverse writers). I’ve commented on reviewing Indigenous books in a previous post which can be found here (although I think on the whole bloggers do a pretty good job of judging Indigenous narratives on their own terms and not by preconceived stereotypes of what it is to be Indigenous).

4.     Inform yourself about the challenges that face Indigenous writers and diverse writers more generally. Many of the issues in relation to diversity have been highlighted by the We Need Diverse Books campaign in the US and you could start by reading the posts on their tumblr site. As to the challenges facing Indigenous writers in Australia, refer to author websites and interviews – google the names of Indigenous writers and see what we have to say. And take a look at the AIATSIS Guidelines on Ethical Publishing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander authors and their communities and the ‘Who Owns Story?’ presentation by Indigenous lawyer Terri Janke.

5.     Be proactive. Give space to Indigenous voices (and other diverse voices). Reach out to publishers and writers and volunteer space for author interviews and guest posts. Beyond that, use social media to raise awareness of Indigenous books and commentary by Indigenous authors. If you see a new release, a review, an author interview – like it, share it, promote it!   

What literary festivals, conferences and events can do to support Indigenous books - guest post by Ambelin Kwaymullina

This is part of a series of posts that answers questions I’m often asked about what can be done to support Indigenous books (by which I mean, books written or co-written by Indigenous people).

1.     Invite Indigenous authors. Ideally, invite more than one (and invite other authors from other diverse backgrounds too). One of the reasons there is a lack of awareness of the sheer range and complexity of the Indigenous experience is that there is rarely more than one Indigenous writer or illustrator present at any given festival or conference. So does your festival represent the reality of a diverse Australia with a rich and ancient Indigenous history and culture?

2.      Is your festival/conference/event a culturally safe space? There are a number of ingredients that go into creating a space where everyone’s identity is acknowledged and respected  – but here are some things to think about:

a.     Have a Welcome to Country and/or acknowledgement of Country – and for the difference between the two, see the Reconciliation Australia factsheet.

b.     Designate a contact person who can provide support if any of your authors experience instances of discrimination at your festival.

c.      Communicate the value your event places on cultural safety to all participants and attendees – and communicate why it matters. The provision of a place where all voices can be heard is not some version of political correctness; it is a matter of basic fairness in which all peoples have an interest, and especially those with an interest in books. Because if you can’t hear the voices, you can’t hear the stories.

d.     Think about your location. One of the legacies of colonial history is that Indigenous experience of colonialism tend to be far less well known that those of non-Indigenous people. This means organisers can sometimes hold events in places that mean they are unlikely to get many Indigenous participants or attendees, because the geographic location is a place of unresolved trauma.

3.     Acknowledge Indigenous peoples as the most expert sources of our own cultures and experiences, just as others from diverse backgrounds are the most expert sources of their own cultures and experiences. Reverse the operation of privilege by giving space to the insider voices and the insider stories – and enrich your program with the stories of those for whom the cultures, histories and ongoing struggles with discrimination are lived realities.  

4.     Establish a dialogue with presenters before the program is finalised. It can be easy for a program organiser to unconsciously make assumptions about what Indigenous stories are, how they should be talked about and what Indigenous people wish to speak to (and the same is true of assumptions about authors from other diverse backgrounds). Are there issues that a presenter would particularly like to address? Is the title and topic of the session or panel culturally appropriate?

5.     Moderators matter. It is no easy task to be the moderator of a panel – and it is a more difficult task when dealing with sensitive issues or cultural histories. Moderators already work hard, but anyone moderating a panel dealing with sensitive issues has to be willing to work even harder to prepare for their session.

What literary journals (and other literary/review publications) can do to support Indigenous books - guest post by Ambelin Kwaymullina

This is part of a series of posts that answers questions I’m often asked about what can be done to support Indigenous books (by which I mean, books written or co-written by Indigenous people).

1.     Review the books! And since Indigenous authors are likely to be published by Indigenous publishers or other small presses who do not have the marketing budgets of larger publishers, this might mean building a relationship with the publisher to keep in touch with upcoming releases. It might also require flexibility with respect to review deadlines, as smaller publishers can find it difficult to meet a deadline for review that requires a copy of the book well before release. Does your publication have any processes in place that are disadvantaging Indigenous publishers or other smaller presses, and if so, what can be done to address those processes? 

2.     Give Indigenous voices a chance to be heard. There have been some outstanding special editions of literary publications comprised entirely of Indigenous contributors, including the Indigenous editions of Westerly and Southerly.   

3.     Shine the spotlight on past releases. There is the most amazingly diverse range of Indigenous voices published in Australia, so why not devote some space to them? Why not review (or write about) multiple publications across the same area, such as the genre-defying picture books that are works of art, philosophy, history and culture (examples include Tjarany Roughtail, Down the Hole, and Maralinga: the Anangu story). Or the incredible Elder narratives (such as Yorro Yorro: Everything Standing Up Alive, Iwenhe Tyerrtye: What it Means to be an Aboriginal person, Listen Deeply, Let These Stories In, My People’s Dreaming, Old Man’s story: The last thoughts of Kakadu Elder Bill Neidjie, Doreen Kartinyeri: My Ngarrindjeri calling – and many others). Or the Indigenous voices in YA (and Magabala Books is leading the way for the number of YA publications by Indigenous authors). Or the winners of the black&write and/or David Unaipon awards.  There is no shortage of published Indigenous narratives, and one of the reasons that there is a lack of awareness of the diversity of Indigenous experiences is that there is a lack of awareness of the diversity of our stories.

4.     Consider how your publication writes about Indigenous books, especially with regard to reviews. Author Malindo Lo, one of the founders of the We Need Diverse Books campaign in the US, has recently written on perceptions of diversity in book reviews. Many of the concerns she highlights are relevant to Indigenous books (including diverse books being characterised as ‘issues’ books). I have previously written of the dangers inherent in judging a book as to cultural ‘authenticity’ or according to preconceived stereotypes as to what it means to be Indigenous. And to these concerns I’d add the following difficulties:

a.     Many people who write about books have considerable expertise in the Western literary canon – but I’d suggest that knowledge of the Western literary canon is likely to be poor preparation for reviewing or writing about Indigenous books, since that canon has largely excluded Indigenous peoples or written of us in ways that are racist, inaccurate or offensive (and the same is true of the representation, or lack of representation, of other diverse peoples in Western literature).

b.     Indigenous storytelling is formed and informed by Indigenous culture. For example – as is discussed by the AIATSIS Guidelines for Ethical Publishing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Authors and Research from those communities – Indigenous stories will sometimes ‘circle back’ and repeat. The same is true of other non-Western storytelling, but it leaves narratives open to being criticised as repetitive. I’d like to see a more nuanced understanding of the differences in storytelling between cultures, and of the often subversive ways in which non-Western storytellers use Western forms to present our worldviews and experiences.

c.      The ‘one story’ danger, which Nigerian writer Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie has so ably discussed. Indigenous and other diverse peoples of this earth are more than one story, but when one story is all that is known of us, it distorts perceptions and means all our narratives are in danger of being viewed (and judged) through the lens of the little that is known.   

5.     Give some space to the concerns affecting Indigenous people (and other diverse authors, for that matter). What problems are Indigenous and other diverse authors contending with in an Australian context? And be prepared to listen to what Indigenous and diverse voices are telling you about what the issues are, rather than framing the issue for us. Real conversations – and a true cultural exchange - requires the creation of a space where people can speak to what matters to them, without having to fit those concerns into the ‘box’ defined by the dominant culture.

What teachers and school librarians can do to support Indigenous books - guest post by Ambelin Kwaymullina

This is the second in a series of posts which answers questions I’m often asked about what people can do to support Indigenous books (and by Indigenous books I mean books written or co-written by Indigenous people, not the books written about us). I use the term ‘Indigenous’ to encompass both Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

Implementing my suggestions will mean more work, and I’m sorry for that because I know how hard many teachers and librarians are already working. But I also know that a lot of you understand why this matters. Because you’ve seen what happens to those who cannot find stories that speak to their reality. Some of you have seen, too, what a difference it can make to an Indigenous child or teenager to be handed a book written by someone just like them. And you are more aware than anyone of the degree to which reading promotes empathy, and the way in which the worlds of all children and teenagers are made richer and larger by reading of cultures different to their own.

So here’s some thoughts on what can be done:

1.     Assess what books you’ve got by Indigenous writers in your library. There’s an enormous range of books across all ages and genres – do you have them? If not, can you begin to build a collection? And as to where you can find them – the majority of books written by Aboriginal people are published by Indigenous publishers such as Magabala Books, IAD Press and Aboriginal Studies Press, with Magabala having the most children’s/YA publications of the three. So start with the Indigenous publishers, and move on to the terrific books published by other publishers from there.  

2.     Know the books yourself (and the best way to do this is to read them). Develop an understanding of the diversity of Indigenous literature which speaks in turn to the diversity of Indigenous experience, because your engagement with the books means you will be able to engage others.

3.     Does your school have a Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP)? If not, encourage it to develop one (and you can view examples of RAPs developed by other schools on the Reconciliation Australia website). If your school does have a RAP, then there are already objectives in place relating to relationships with Indigenous people, respect for Indigenous culture, and the creation of opportunity. Some of these objectives probably relate to books (for example many school RAPs include a goal of developing an Indigenous resources collection and/or the incorporation of Indigenous perspectives into curriculum). Is your school achieving these objectives? And how might books help you achieve other objectives in the RAP? Indigenous books are, by their nature, culturally respectful places where the creator is sharing their knowledge and experience on their own terms.

4.     Be aware of how you approach Indigenous books. It sometimes happens that Indigenous books – indeed books by all diverse writers – are pigeonholed as ‘issues’ books, or as books that are only relevant to people from that particular group. Ellen Oh (one of the founders of the US-based We Need Diverse Books campaign) has written about this in relation to diversity more generally, and challenged parents, caretakers and educators to “take a hard look at themselves for internalised biases that may affect the way they look at children’s books.” Are the narratives you’ve unconsciously absorbed about Indigenous people affecting how you view Indigenous books, and how you talk about them?

5.     Think about what you can do to draw attention to the books and incorporate them into student learning. There are some obvious opportunities for promoting Indigenous books in libraries and classrooms, for example during NAIDOC week or National Reconciliation Week. But what can be done outside of this to engage your students with the reality of a diverse world, including the stories of the First Peoples of Australia? And what resources are available to help you? For this, you could start with publisher websites. For example, both Magabala Books and Aboriginal Studies Press have education sections that contain teacher’s notes and links to other resources. Beyond that there is a massive range of online material available – here are just a few examples:

·      The AIATSIS website for information on Indigenous peoples, histories and culture

·      The Blackwords database, for information and resources about Indigenous writers

·      Narragunnawali: Reconciliation in Schools and Early Learning for teacher resources and school-specific instructions on developing a RAP

·      The ABC Splash website, which contains videos, games and resources mapped to the Australian curriculum (look at the topic ‘Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Histories and Cultures’)

·      Online exhibitions, such as The Referendum Australia Had to Have, Ngurra Kuju Walyja (One Country One People): the Canning Stock Route Project, and Resistance

6.     Join the conversation – or perhaps start it – with your colleagues. One of the outcomes of the We Need Diverse Books campaign in the US has been discussions amongst librarians and teachers reflecting on their practice and exchanging ideas. If your school or library has an initiative that’s worked, why not share it? If you’ve used an Indigenous book in your classroom, tell your colleagues about it. Raise up your voices – and share the books.

What Publishers can do to increase their publication of Indigenous voices - guest post by Ambelin Kwaymullina

I’ve had more than one publisher ask me what they can do to get more Indigenous authors/illustrators in their lists (non-Indigenous publishers, that is, because Indigenous publishers already do an outstanding job of publishing an incredibly diverse range of Indigenous voices).

It’s important that publishing houses are culturally safe spaces where the voices of Aboriginal peoples are valued and welcomed – in fact, that they are spaces where all culturally diverse voices are valued and welcomed. I think a lot of people who work in Australian publishing want that too, and I know that from talking to publishers. But it might not be obvious from looking at a publisher’s website, their policies and/or their processes. And so the question becomes – what can publishers do to manifest their commitment to publishing the many voices of this world?

Here’s some thoughts on a few things publishers can do in relation to Indigenous voices:

1.     Know what you don’t know

Many publishers don’t have a great deal of knowledge of Indigenous worldviews, knowledge, and cultures – and that’s okay as long as the publisher is aware of the limits of their knowledge. The problems for Indigenous writers (in fact, for all culturally diverse writers) are usually created not by those who don’t understand, but by those who are ignorant of their own ignorance. Because these are the people that either don’t ask or don’t accept the advice they are given. It means they are vulnerable to enacting stereotypes and producing promotional material that looks like it was assembled sometime in 1952. It means they will continually insist on using terms like ‘animism’, ‘anthropomorphism’, ‘didactic’ or ‘repetitive’ to describe elements of Indigenous works without understanding that these are crude labels invented by the West for ways of storytelling that are very different to Western cultural forms. And it means they will sometimes tell Indigenous writers that we are not writing of the ‘Indigenous experience’ - as if there is only one experience that is shared between the 370 million-plus Indigenous peoples of the earth.

2.     Create opportunities

There have been some terrific projects over the years which have included the Waarda series (Fremantle Press), the Little Big Book Club Emerging Indigenous Writer and Illustrator Project (with the books published by A&U), the production of Indigenous anthologies that give space to so many voices (for example the Indigenous editions of Westerly and Southerly), and of course the David Unaipon (winners published by UQP) and black&write awards (winners published by Magabala Books). But given the extreme disadvantage of Indigenous peoples, we need more – a lot more – before there is anything resembling an equality of opportunity with non-Indigenous writers/illustrators. We need internships. Skills workshops. And we need those opportunities for Indigenous editors too, because there’s a critical lack of Indigenous editorial expertise in Australia.

3.     Have a Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP)

A RAP is a business plan that documents how an organisation will contribute to reconciliation. RAPs are everywhere – my football team has one (go the Dockers!), as does my bank, my local council and my supermarket. Schools have RAPS; also mining companies, law firms, universities, government departments and professional associations. There are detailed instructions on how to create a RAP on the Reconciliation Australia website, as well as a list of people who have one. But there don’t seem to be any publishers on that list.

4.     End the whitewashing of covers

If the story is about a brown kid, put a brown kid on the cover. And don’t show that character in shadowed silhouette (while all the covers with the blue-eyed blondes have them standing in the sunshine of the eternal spotlight). This is a global issue and I know that many Australian publishers would never whitewash a cover. But this is an issue of such sensitivity and importance that it would be terrific to see more publishers joining the voices of authors, teachers, bloggers and readers to speak out against it. And if you want to hear some of those other voices – Google ‘whitewashing covers’, and read the first ten or twenty results.

5.     Acquire editorial expertise

First, we need more Indigenous editors. This has a two fold benefit for publishers, because an Indigenous editor will not only be of assistance in editing Indigenous stories but in recognising issues with stories told by non-Indigenous people that another editor might miss. Second, non-Indigenous editors need to start acquiring appropriate expertise if they’re going to edit Indigenous texts. How much do you know abut Indigenous peoples? Do you have any understanding of the contexts that shape the stories? Because you’ll have this understanding already of stories written in the Western literary tradition. You’ll rely on it, probably unconsciously, to comprehend and appreciate a narrative. But you may well have to work a bit harder to understand narratives based in a different worldview.

6.     Adopt the AIATSIS Guidelines for the ethical publishing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander authors and research from those communities, and start developing an understanding of the issues that those guidelines exist to address.

7.     Reach out to Indigenous authors

If you already publish Indigenous authors, reach out to them – or make contact with an author not on your list, if you don’t have any. In fact, why not reach out to all your culturally diverse authors and see if they’re interested in having a conversation about how culturally aware they’ve found your publishing house to be. Have any of your authors ever experienced something that made them uncomfortable or distressed? Or are you doing a great job of something – if so, what and how can you do more of it?

8.     Know yourself

Understand how any preconceived notions of what it is to be Indigenous might be affecting your judgment as to what books you publish and how you promote and edit those books. Because the differences between Indigenous and Western worldviews and experiences might make it harder for you to read an insider narrative than one written from outside the culture. But insider stories are exactly the ones we need more of – because isn’t opening windows onto other worlds what books are for?

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Ambelin Kwaymullina is an Aboriginal writer, illustrator and academic who comes from the Palyku people of the Pilbara region of Western Australia. She works at the Law School at the University of Western Australia and is the author of a number of picture books as well as the YA speculative fiction series, The Tribe.