Welcome to our Indigenous collection, where you'll find spectacular titles by amazing authors that carry the spirit of the original custodians of this vast, beautiful land...
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are advised that this site may contain names, voices or images of people who have passed away.
More than 70 years ago, the ancient legend of Gurawul the whale was passed down to Yuin Elder Uncle Max Dulumunmun Harrison by his grandfather and uncles. He promised them that one day he would travel to the southern land, Tasmania, and search for the whale dreaming of their Ancestors.
This exquisitely illustrated book tells the story of Uncle Max’s journey to fulfil that promise, and how he eventually came face to face with Gurawul.
Filled with important cultural knowledge and personal stories, Uncle Max sadly died before Gurawul could be published, and his family are continuing his legacy to show how science is finally beginning to catch up with these ‘old blackfella’ stories.
Tamarra: A Story of Termites on Gurindji Country is a fascinating, illustrated science book that takes kids inside the life of termites through storytelling from the Gurindji People.
Did you know there are four types of termite poo? Or that a warm paste made from termite mound is used to strengthen a Gurindji baby’s body and spirit? Or that spinifex (which termites eat) is one of the strongest plants in the world?
Created as a collaboration between over 30 First Nations and non-Indigenous contributors, the story and artworks explore how termites and their mounds connect different parts of Country, from tiny Gurindji babies and their loving grandmothers, to spiky spinifex plants growing in the hot sun.
This is the story of Dujuan Hoosan, a 10-year-old Arrernte and Garawa boy. A wise, funny, cheeky boy. A healer.
Out bush, his healing power (Ngangkere) is calm and straight. But in town, it's wobbly and wild, like a snake. He's in trouble at school, and with the police. He thinks there's something wrong with him.
​
​
Illustrated by Blak Douglas, winner of the Archibald Prize 2022
Take a walk with Uncle Kuu in The Trees, a picture book about caring for Country and respect for Indigenous knowledge.
Looking after the trees is important for keeping Country happy and healthy. First Nations People have cared for the trees on Country for thousands of years. In return, the trees look after the people and provide them with gifts of seeds, flowers, wood and more. This creates the balance between giving and taking from the land.
Featuring stunning artwork by Sandra Steffensen, The Trees is a powerful and timely story to help future generations manage our landscapes and ensure that they thrive.
.jpg)
Ask Aunty: Seasons is a delightful and educational picture book for children aged 5 to 10 years that introduces First Nations seasonal calendars.
Have you ever been excited for the first day of summer, only to be disappointed when it arrives cold and rainy? For First Nations People, the seasons don’t change when the calendar does. Instead, we can look for changes in plants, animals, water, weather and the stars to mark the start of a new season.
Aunty Munya explains how there are six seasons on her Country. Mankal is the rainy season, bringing strong winds from the ocean, while Barrgan is the season when bush fruits are most plentiful.
With stunning illustrations by Charmaine Ledden-Lewis, Ask Aunty: Seasons encourages all readers to develop a deeper connection with the land, waters and sky.
Gurril could not understand why everyone was afraid of a snake, even if it was Gudju-gudju, the rainbow serpent! But he was soon to discover just how powerful Gudju-gudju really was and why it is not a good idea to torment the rainbow serpent.
Gurril, Storm Bird is a Gimuy Walubara (pronounced ghee-moy-wah-la-burra) Yidinji traditional story that helps to explain the cultural beliefs held by the Yidinji First Nations People of Cairns. The Gimuy Walubarra are the traditional custodians of Cairns and the surrounding regions.
Inspired by a love of country from an Indigenous perspective, every family will relate to this beautiful bilingual picture book as brought to life by Noongar storytellers, Isobel Bevis and Leanne Zilm, highlighting the rich cultural heritage we all share.
The book features gorgeously hand painted images of Australian flora and fauna.
An enemy who’ll destroy every hope she’s ever had…
Expelled from the Imperial Assassins for a murder she didn’t commit, Dhani Karim is granted one shot at redemption: spend two years as a lowly covert operative in the Empire’s Secret Service whilst she tries to clear her name.
Partnered with Parvan Gorshayik, a former spy with a mysterious and brutal past, Dhani is sent to a far-flung mountain town on a routine intelligence gathering mission. But when Parvan’s obsession for revenge leads to an artifact with the power to unleash an ancient evil, Dhani faces a devastating choice.
Captured and savagely tortured, she’ll need to sacrifice her one chance to rejoin the Assassins just to stay alive. And though brutally injured, the take-no-prisoners assassin uses her old skills to escape… only to run headlong into an uneasy alliance with the enemy of her enemy - the Yargans.
Filled with intricate world-building, snarky banter and epic battles, this second book in the Imperial series is perfect for fans of fast-paced, epic fantasy adventure.
A disgraced assassin. A sinister plot. Will her one shot at redemption send her to the grave?
​
Dhani Karim is furious. Wrongfully expelled from the Imperial Assassins, the snarky killer is forced into a lowly unranked position in a remote desert colony, working with a guy who’s clearly damaged goods. And when they barely survive an attack on what should have been a routine assignment, she fears clearing her name could cost her life.
Struggling to navigate a land where she’s the only person who can’t wield magic, things get worse when she receives a death threat and her unwanted partner vanishes. But when the clues lead to a violent cult, Dhani finds herself in a race against time to stop a bloodbath that will consume thousands of innocent lives.
Can she expose a deadly conspiracy before it causes a massacre?
City of Whispers is the thrilling first book in the Imperial Assassin fantasy adventure series.
​
If you like kickass heroines, high-octane action, and off-the-charts snark, then you’ll love Katt Powers’ gritty tale.
Buy City of Whispers for a pulse-pounding page-turner today!
Black Cockatoo is a vignette that follows Mia, a young Aboriginal girl as she explores the fragile connections of family and culture.
Mia is a 13-year-old girl from a remote community in the Kimberley. She is saddened by the loss of her brother as he distances himself from the family.
She feels powerless to change the things she sees around her, until one day she rescues her totem animal, the dirran black cockatoo, and soon discovers her own inner strength.
We first met Mia in Black Cockatoo, as she navigated her way through culture, Country and familial ties.
Dirrarn follows Mia as she finds herself at boarding school and the challenges of living thousands of kilometres away from home, family, and the big sky country she loves. Mia along with her best friend, Naya, negotiate new friends, new ways of thinking and new ways of being in a different world.
As Mia wrestles with all that is unfamiliar, she soon must learn to stand in her truth when confronted with unending challenges.
From the author of the award-winning The Boy from the Mish, comes a compelling coming-of-age YA novel about sixteen-year-old Jamie Langton finding his future and navigating the challenges of racism, family and friendship in a small Australian town.
The thought comes to me: This is how I die. Dally is going to lose control and crash us into a pole or a house and we will be killed on impact.
​
The justice system characterises Jamie Langton as a 'danger to society', but he's just an Aboriginal kid, trying to find his way through adolescence.
It’s a hot summer, and life’s going okay for Jackson and his family on the Mish.
It’s almost Christmas, school’s out, and he's hanging with his mates, teasing the visiting tourists, and avoiding the racist boys in town. Just like every year, Jackson’s Aunty and his annoying little cousins visit from Sydney – but this time, a boy named Tomas comes with them.
Tomas is quiet, from a troubled background, and he’s artistic – more into his writing than he is willing to admit. And as both boys let down their guard, and their friendship evolves, Jackson must confront the changing shapes of his relationships with his friends, family and community.
He must face his darkest secret – a secret that could shatter the careful persona he has built for himself on the Mish.
On his long path to success – from aspiring professional footballer to actor, director and producer – for every opportunity Aaron Fa’Aoso had, there were setbacks and heartache.
He was six when his father and grandfather both died. His fiercely proud mother and even fiercer grandmother dug deep to raise Aaron and his brothers. Belief in himself as a warrior – literally and metaphorically – made him into a fighter, for better and for worse.
A month into Aaron’s second marriage, and just as his acting career was flourishing, his new wife took her own life. In the dark years that followed, Aaron eventually found strength and meaning in his family and in his beloved Torres Strait community.
In So Far, So Good, he talks frankly about love, pain, making mistakes and finding happiness again, as well as the impacts of racism and the challenges of remote communities.
For those born in Australia, it’s easy to take citizenship and its responsibilities for granted. But there is much more to being an Australian citizen than having a passport and the right to vote.
We Are Australians encourages reflection and for readers to look further into the topics of citizenship and the role of Australia’s First Nations people.The poetic writing style creates a rich and respectful text, and the bright colours add a joyfulness and a sense of celebration.
​
he use of traditional First Nations techniques reinforces the longevity and importance of a culture that has lived on Australian land for over 65,000 years.
Come Together is a heart-warming, debut picture book for children aged 5 and up from pop artist Isaiah Firebrace, inspired by his petition to the Australian Government calling for Aboriginal history to be taught in every classroom.
In this essential book, Isaiah, a Yorta Yorta and Gunditjmara man, establishes a foundation of First Nations knowledge with 20 key topics. Alongside bright and contemporary illustrations by Mununjali and Fijian artist Jaelyn Biumaiwai, Isaiah connects us to each topic through his own personal story and culture, from the importance of Elders to the Dreaming.
​
At once accessible and engaging, Come Together will make every Aussie kid proud that we are home to the longest continuing culture on Earth!
Mother Nature has a language. If we listen, and read the signs in the land, we can understand it.
​
Join Uncle Kuu as he takes us out on Country and explains cultural burning.
Featuring stunning artwork by Sandra Steffensen, this is a powerful and timely story of understanding Australia's ecosystems through Indigenous fire management, and a respectful way forward for future generations to help manage our landscapes.
Cathy ran barefoot every day across the great ancient land, as her people had done for sixty thousand years before.
​
And when she ran, she could hear the heartbeat of the land.
Ba Boom Ba Boom Ba Boom...
​
Then one day, Cathy hears a cry. She answers this cry and, with one small step at a time, the seeds of change are planted.
Cathy Freeman has always been an inspiration to young people.
Here, she does it again, through storytelling - just as her people have done, for sixty thousand years before... Listen, and you too, will hear the Heartbeat of the Land.
Told in English and Dharug, Open Your Heart to Country is a moving account of re-connection to Country from a First Nations perspective.
Sharing the nourishing power of returning home and being immersed in the language of Country, this picture book invites readers to reflect on the importance of place, not only for First Nations’ peoples but for everyone.
With exquisite illustrations and soft, lilting text, Open Your Heart to Country appeals to the very young, while sharing a deeper message for older readers.
A book the whole family can enjoy.
This is a memoir of an Aboriginal woman, Dr Tjanara Goreng Goreng, who began life without any of the advantages of her fellow non-Indigenous Australians except for grit, humour and diverse talent in spades.
Through one woman’s story, this book shines a light on the shameful treatment and betrayal of first Australians by individuals and social institutions since European take over. This is a story of resilience, courage and Tjanara’s remarkable capacity to overcome unending barriers.
She is an inspiration to all fellow Australians and more specifically to the disenfranchised, marginalised and voiceless Indigenous communities.
Essential reading for everyone, especially in the wake of #BlackLivesMatter.
This second edition of The Cherry Picker’s Daughter is an exquisite portrait of growing up Aboriginal on the fringes of outback towns in NSW in the mid-twentieth century. It offers profound insights into the extraordinary strength, resilience and ingenuity of Aboriginal families to overcome extreme poverty, persecution, racism and cultural genocide.
“Australia has waited too long to read this book of courage and truth. It heralds a timely change in our thinking of Aboriginal activism.” – Jeanine Leane, Wiradjuri writer and academic
Would you like to see your book here? Simply fill out our submission form on the For Authors page and we'll proudly add your title to our library!
