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Blak, Loud and Proud: First Nations Classics 2024

Live EventFirst NationsSpecial Event

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.  

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 

Event and Ticketing Details

Dates & Times

Thursday 11 July
6:30 PM - 7:45 PM

Location

The Wheeler Centre

176 Little Lonsdale Street Melbourne Victoria 3000

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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. 

Additional Notes

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

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.
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Fiona Foley

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 ...

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Claire G. Coleman

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 ...

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Dylan Coleman

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 ...

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Tony Birch

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).
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Tamala Shelton

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 ...

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