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Anita Heiss Anita Heiss i(A7669 works by) (a.k.a. Anita M. Heiss)
Born: Established: 1968 Sydney, New South Wales, ;
Gender: Female
Heritage: Aboriginal Wiradjuri ; Aboriginal
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Works By

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1 y separately published work icon Red Dust Running Anita Heiss , Sydney : Audible Studios , 2023 26476771 2023 single work novel

'After a disastrous relationship effectively torches her personal and professional life in Sydney, Annabelle is back in Brisbane. She’s about to start her dream job launching and curating a First Nations gallery in the city, and this time, nothing is getting in the way of her important work. Certainly not romance. Matters of the heart have always turned out to be a surefire way to make Annabelle run for the hills – literally.

'Everything is going to plan until a birthday trip to the rodeo with her tiddas brings Annabelle up close and very personal with Dusty Davies, bona fide cowboy. It’s just a country fling, obviously. Annabelle’s not built for the rodeo life, and she’s certainly not spending any more time than necessary in the red dust and cowboy boots. Dusty doesn’t take art and activism seriously like Annabelle does; and he’s born and bred on country, and looks set to stay that way.

'Opposites may attract, but how much change and compromise can you make before you’re running from yourself?' (Publication summary)

1 y separately published work icon Bidhi Galing Big Rain Anita Heiss , Samantha Campbell (illustrator), Cammeray : Simon and Schuster Australia , 2023 26042747 2023 single work picture book children's

'Powerful and moving, Bidhi Galing (Big Rain) celebrates the Wiradyuri heroes of the Great Flood of Gundagai in 1852, told through the eyes of a young girl who is rescued from the raging floodwaters by her father.

'Wagadhaany grew up near the Marrambidya Bila. She loved dancing in the rain and listening to her father, Yarri, tell her stories about life on Wiradyuri ngurambang.

'When white people started building on the floodplains, Yarri was worried. He knew the power of the bila and tried to warn the strangers, but they would not listen.

'Years later, when the big rains came, Yarri and his brother, Jacky Jacky, jumped into their bark canoes and paddled through raging floodwaters, risking their lives to save countless others.' (Publication summary)

1 y separately published work icon Koori Princess Anita Heiss , Broome : Magabala Books , 2022 24959669 2022 single work children's fiction children's

'Karan rolls her eyes. ‘What’s this year’s theme? Oh no, let me guess,’ she looks into the distance, pretending to ponder the possibilities. Sarcastically she asks, ‘Is it... could it possibly be...a princess party?’

'Teish is a sassy, soon-to-be 7-year-old and the apple of her dad’s eye. She believes more than anything, that she is a Disney princess. Her older siblings, Karan and Kim, like to remind her that she isn’t. Teish is determined to believe that she can be whoever she wants to be.

'With the help of boisterous, irreverent cousins and friends, a princesses-of-colour party with all the trimmings and an adventure to the beach, Teish teaches her family that she can be a princess and remain true to herself.

'But will her siblings accept her being a feisty Koori Princess?'  (Publication summary)

1 y separately published work icon Growing up Wiradjuri Anita Heiss (editor), Broome : Magabala Books , 2022 24487693 2022 anthology autobiography

'These stories form part of our collective history, the way we speak of and live culture still today, and the importance of passing on such stories to younger generations.' — Dr. Anita Heiss, Ed.

'Growing up Wiradjuri is a collection of personal stories by Wiradjuri Elders. The writers are Uncles and Aunties who came of age in New South Wales in the 1950s and 1960s.

'In a strong collective voice, they share the difficulties of growing up under the rule of the welfare board. Some describe their experiences of evading capture by the welfare mob, or of being stolen and forced into state care away from their families. Some describe experiencing racism in school, the trials of poverty and family separation.

'Alongside the difficulties of marginal life, backbreaking labour and family separation, they also detail their fond memories of their own Elders, Aunts and Uncles who cared for them and taught them culture. Contributors describe happy memories of family and community life on country, working the land, sitting around campfires, hunting, fishing, and playing games in the bush with their cousins, brothers and sisters. They talk about the values that were imparted to them by staunch parents and grandparents, about what it means to come from a family where everyone takes care of each other during hard times, and the work they have done to build stronger communities. Every contributor has important advice to share with the next generation.'  (Publication summary)

1 2 y separately published work icon Tiddas Anita Heiss , 2022 Fortitude Valley : Playlab , 2022 23446172 2022 single work drama

'Brisbane, 2022. Five women, best friends for decades, meet once a month to talk about books, life, love and the jagged bits in between.

'Dissecting each other’s lives seems the most natural thing in the world and honesty, no matter how brutal, is something they treasure. 

'Best friends tell each other everything, don’t they? But each woman carries a complex secret and one weekend, without warning, everything comes unstuck.'

Source: La Boite.

1 Want to Write the Great Australian Novel? You Need to Engage with Indigenous Australia First Anita Heiss , 2021 single work column
— Appears in: The Guardian Australia , 28 April 2021;

'First Nations people are in every part of this country – physically, spiritually, socially and politically. A novel set in Australia must acknowledge that.' 

1 8 y separately published work icon Bila Yarrudhanggalangdhuray River of Dreams Anita Heiss , Cammeray : Simon and Schuster Australia , 2021 18083402 2021 single work novel historical fiction

'1852

'When the township of Gundagai is devastated by raging floodwaters, two local Wiradjuri men, Yarri and Jacky Jacky, risk their lives to rescue a third of the town's residents in bark canoes on the treacherous Murrumbidgee River.

'Among those saved are James and David Bradley, wealthy settlers. The Bradleys leave for Wagga Wagga, with James’s new bride, Louisa – and Yarri’s daughter, Wagadhaany, their Aboriginal servant, removing her from her beloved family and country. As a Quaker, Louisa’s mission is to help the Wiradjuri people, including Wagadhaany, and the two women develop an unorthodox friendship.

'In Wagga Wagga, Wagadhaany meets Yindyamarra, a young Wiradjuri stockman working for the Bradleys, and they fall deeply in love. They dream of a better life, of children, and of going home, away from the degradation of being owned – and one day, with their young family, they set out on a journey along the river of their ancestors in search of lost family and country – one that will bring hope and heartache.

'Set on timeless Wiradjuri country where the life-giving waters of the rivers can make or break dreams, and based on devastating true events, River of Dreams is an epic story of love, loss and belonging.'

(Source : Simon and Schuster)

1 The Surge in Sales of Indigenous Books Is Heartening but Education Takes Many Forms Anita Heiss , 2020 single work column
— Appears in: The Guardian Australia , 25 June 2020;

'Aboriginal people have been inundated with questions about how to be a better ally. It gives us hope but it’s absolutely exhausting.'

1 I Watched Cathy Freeman Win Gold at the Sydney Olympics. That Moment Still Inspires Me Today Anita Heiss , 2020 single work column
— Appears in: The Guardian Australia , 5 February 2020;

'The sprinter became Australia’s sporting sweetheart but her career was sometimes hit by controversy. When you are born black, you are born political.' (Introduction)

1 Introduction to Charmaine Papertalk Green’s Nganajungu Yagu Anita Heiss , 2019 single work essay
— Appears in: Nganajungu Yagu 2019;

'Since Charmaine Papertalk Green’s poetry was first published in The Penguin Book of Australian Women Poets in 1986, her voice on the page has been consistent: eloquently powerful, respectfully challenging and true to her role in life as a Yamaji Nyarlu. Nganajungu Yagu is no different, considering, as it does, respect for ancestors, connection to country, the role of the poet and Yamaji identity.' (Introduction)

1 y separately published work icon Deadly Sisters of Worawa Anita Heiss (editor), Shelley Ware (editor), Broadway : Indigenous Literacy Foundation , 2018 14538678 2018 anthology autobiography poetry

'Deadly Sisters of Worawa, written by thirteen young women from Worawa Aboriginal College, was produced during a writing workshop that was facilitated by our Lifetime Ambassador Anita Heiss and the equally passionate literacy advocate Shelley Ware. In their book, the students write about themselves, their families, their sacred places and the things they've achieved that make them proud. They've also written some powerful and moving poetry, and created some amazing artwork, all of which combined reveals how deadly these Worawa sisters are.'  (Publication summary)

1 Introduction Anita Heiss , 2018 single work essay
— Appears in: Growing Up Aboriginal in Australia 2018; (p. 1-3)

'There is no single or simple way to define what it means to grow up Aboriginal in Australia, but this anthology is an attempt to showcase as many of the diverse voices, experiences and stories together as possible.' (Introduction)

1 14 y separately published work icon Growing Up Aboriginal in Australia Anita Heiss (editor), Collingwood : Black Inc. , 2018 12263094 2018 anthology life story autobiography Indigenous story

'What is it like to grow up Aboriginal in Australia? This anthology, compiled by award-winning author Anita Heiss, attempts to showcase as many diverse voices, experiences and stories as possible in order to answer that question. Each account reveals, to some degree, the impacts of invasion and colonisation – on language, on country, on ways of life, and on how people are treated daily in the community, the education system, the workplace and friendship groups.

'Accounts from well-known authors and high-profile identities sit alongside newly discovered voices of all ages, with experiences spanning coastal and desert regions, cities and remote communities. All of them speak to the heart – sometimes calling for empathy, oftentimes challenging stereotypes, always demanding respect.

'This groundbreaking anthology aims to enlighten, inspire and educate about the lives of Aboriginal people in Australia today.' (Publication Summary)

1 Considering Sameness Anita Heiss , 2017 single work criticism
— Appears in: The Long Campaign : The Duguid Memorial Lectures, 1994–2014 2017; (p. 155-166)

‘In ‘Considering sameness’, author and activist Adjunct Professor Anita Heiss confronts the challenges of writing and talking complex Indigenous characters into mainstream Australian literature and public discourse. Her ‘sameness’ does not ignore or oppose expression of ‘difference’. She looks for common ground from which to take a broader view of human interaction than is permitted in oppositional same-different debates underpinned by competing hierarchies of value. In doing so she surrenders neither space nor place. She discusses the approaches taken in 13 books of poetry, adult and young readers’ prose, and autobiography and essays to be found in the AustLit/Black Words database, to challenge and reverse dominant literary stereotypes in mainstream literature by arguing that – in all genres of writing and reportage – stereotypes have influence on identity construction, perception and reception: good and bad.’ (16-17)

1 y separately published work icon Our Race for Reconciliation Anita Heiss , Lindfield : Scholastic Australia , 2017 10721967 2017 single work children's fiction children's

'Mel Gordon loves running, and watching Seinfeld, but mostly she loves Cathy Freeman. It's 2000 and the Olympics are going to be held in Australia. In a year of surprises, Mel finds out that Cathy Freeman is coming to talk to her school. And her family is heading to Sydney! It becomes an unforgettable journey to Corroboree 2000, bringing together all Australians as they march and sing and celebrate Australia's Indigenous heritage and also acknowledge past wrongs.' (Publication summary)

1 2 y separately published work icon Shock 'Em : Stories of the Big River Hawks Shock 'em! Anita Heiss , Sandra R. Phillips , Broadway : Indigenous Literacy Foundation , 2016 9707476 2016 anthology short story

'The book contains works of fiction about playing in a Hawthorn Grand Final, personal articles about significant places in their lives and letters to their heroes such as their dads, Martin Luther King, Muhammad Ali and Adelaide Crows star Eddie Betts.' (Source: National Indigenous Times online, 13 July 2016)

1 y separately published work icon Kicking Goals with Goodesy and Magic Adam Goodes , Michael O'Loughlin , Anita Heiss , Melbourne : Piccolo Nero , 2016 9665490 2016 single work biography

'AFL legends Adam Goodes and Michael O’Loughlin are blood brothers and great mates. They are also two of the best footballers ever to play for the Sydney Swans. Between them, they played over 650 games and kicked over 900 goals.'

'But what were Goodesy and Magic like when they were kids? What kind of scrapes did they get into at school? And what was it like to go from being normal teenagers to AFL superstars? '

'Find out all this and much more in Kicking Goals, the story of Adam and Michael’s friendship in their own words, as told to Anita Heiss.'

1 Australia in Three Books Anita Heiss , 2016 single work essay
— Appears in: Meanjin , Winter vol. 75 no. 2 2016; (p. 14-17)
1 Modern-day Cultural Leader Farewelled Anita Heiss , 2016 single work obituary (for David Page )
— Appears in: Koori Mail , 18 May no. 626 2016; (p. 11)
'David Page graced the stage of the QPAC Concert Hall many times throughout his performing career. But on May 10, nearly 1000 mourners from around the nation filled the space to farewell their much-loved brother, uncle, friend and peer. What followed was a send-off befitting the cultural leader he was. ...'
1 Blak & Bright : Opening Address : 20 Reasons Why You Should Read Blak Anita Heiss , Pauline Whyman , Gregory J. Fryer , 2016 single work criticism
— Appears in: The Wheeler Centre , February 2016;

'...The opening address for the inaugural Blak & Bright Festival,Anita Heiss ‘unpacks the Blak’ – presenting 20 reasons why and how you should read Indigenous literature. She's joined by two of our finest Indigenous actors, reading excerpts from 20 Blak books. Listen in on a funny and challenging, rapid-fire event.'

'Featuring Anita Heiss, Pauline Whyman and Greg Fryer.'

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