Talking to My Country (Stan Grant, HarperCollins)

The politics of Aboriginal identity cut to the bone of veteran journalist Stan Grant’s hybrid memoir/social commentary Talking to My Country. Through sharing the stories of his ancestors, Grant shows that Indigenous Australian history is not a relic, but living and continuous. As the title suggests, the book is addressed to Australia—and implicitly to white Australians. Grant laments the erasure of Indigenous sovereignty and culture, and condemns sociocultural systems built on and sustained by white privilege. He describes a life dogged by the feeling that ‘we were black and Australia was white’. Talking to My Country draws parallels between Indigenous Australian resistance and the US civil rights movement. Much as Ta-Nehisi Coates’ Between the World and Me was spurred by the state of American race relations, Grant was galvanised to share his story by the appalling racism directed towards AFL player Adam Goodes. Grant is a natural storyteller, although occasionally his prose overreaches. He is at his best when recounting his experiences and observations of Indigenous Australian life with devastating simplicity and acuity. This highly readable book will appeal to readers interested in Indigenous stories, social justice and contemporary Australian politics. It has the potential to spark empathy and generate important discussion, and deserves to be read widely.

Veronica Sullivan is the prize manager of the Stella Prize and online editor of Kill Your Darlings journal

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