Anita Heiss, National Coordinator:
On Wednesday September 3, 2008 all Australians were invited to participate in the second Indigenous Literacy Day (ILD). I was an ambassador for ILD, along with Alexis Wright, Tara June Winch, Andy Griffiths, Geraldine Brooks and David Malouf. I was honoured to attend an event at The Lodge in Canberra, hosted by the ILD Patron Thérèse Rein and including young people from communities who benefit from the ILD project. It's not too late to make a donation – check out www.worldwithoutbooks.org.

As part of ILD I presented a keynote address at the ALIA (Australian Library and Information Association) Dreaming 08 Conference in Alice Springs, focussing on issues of literacy in remote Aboriginal communities and showcasing the Black Words dataset to 580 librarians from around the country, to assist them in developing reading collections and projects.

At the Brisbane Writers' Festival this year it was energising and interesting to sit on a panel with AustLit Empress and editor of the Bibliography of Australian Literature, Kerry Kilner, talking about what makes Australian literature Australian. Other speakers in the conversation included Matt Condon, Madonna Duffy and Rosemary Sorensen. For my comments on the topic you can read my blog at: http://anitaheissblog.blogspot.com/

As part of the release of my new novel I was also fortunate enough to be part of the Melbourne Writers' Festival where I talked with Robert Drewe about what our readings lives are like and who inspires us. To read my notes on that check out my MySpace page at: www.myspace.com/tokenkoori. (You will need to friend me first, sorry – have to keep the stalkers at bay.)

News from Elizabeth Hodgson, Wollongong University
I have recovered from my trip to Brisbane for the Writers Festival and for the launch of my book Skin Painting. It was a nice, quiet affair – I wasn't expecting to sell any books, as I am unknown entity – but I did sell a couple, so that was nice. Multi-ward winning children's author Libby Gleeson launched the book and her thoughts and descriptions of my work nearly made me cry. It was sad and beautiful as well. Thank you to the Austlit mob that turned up and to Ernie who travelled with me from Sydney. It was good to have that support. Last year I was rather overwhelmed with the whole announcement of the award but I was more relaxed this year (although my voice did threaten to go on strike).

Regarding AustLit work, I am continuing to index titles from the South Coast region and will index my own book shortly – at least I won't have to think up titles for indexing!

News from Yartiji Green, Flinders University
In early September, my work gave me the opportunity to attend ALIA Dreaming 08 Conference. Set in Alice Springs, Northern Territory, the conference had an Indigenous theme. The two keynote speakers on the first day were Professor Martin Nakata, who spoke on guidelines and practises in Australian Indigenous digital collections, and Dr Anita Heiss spoke on the issue of Indigenous literacy. During Dreaming 08, Black Words had a poster presentation on display where Joan Keating and I had the opportunity to talk to Dreaming 08 attendees about Black Words and what a fantastic heritage resource it is, and how the world is watching us because we are the first database of our kind. It was lovely to see the interest people had in Black Words. On the second day of the conference, the panels were geared towards library issues rather than Indigenous themes, all were very interesting nonetheless.

Looking for a couple of good reads? How about reading the comedy, Bitin' Back by Vivienne Cleven where Aboriginal mother, Mavis, goes to great lengths to protect her 'star footballer' son Neville's change in lifestyle from a small country town and nosey neighbours. Bitin' Back is best read with a cup of tea and a couple of Tim Tams. Or if you seek something more criminal, try reading Scream Black Murder by Philip McLaren. The protagonists are two Koori detectives are assigned their first case, a double homicide, an Aboriginal woman and her partner. The pressure is on after a white woman is murdered and the realisation they may be chasing a serial killer. Scream Black Murder is best read with the lights on and all doors and windows securely locked.

News from Ernie Blackmore, University of Wollongong
There are some days when it just doesn't pay to get out of bed. 6 September 2008 looked like it was going to be one such day, at least that is how Cathie Craigie and her team of organisers must have felt when the news broke that the historic White Bay Hotel had caught fire and burned down in the early hours of the morning. Well, not so much the burning of the hotel as such – although, for me, it had been a 'local' watering hole and at times 'saviour' in a previous life – it was the news and realisation that Victoria Road was closed from Rozelle's Gordon St to The Crescent at White Bay and that all the local roads were in gridlock, including the Anzac Bridge.

'Who cares?', some might ask. The reason for concern lay in that all those blocked roads normally led to Balmain Road, the NSW Writers Centre and the Guwanyi Festival due to commence at 10.15 a.m.

As the morning developed and mobile phones rang hot and hotter the organisers were greeted with the news that Anita Heiss, who was due to MC the opening proceedings, was on Anzac Bridge texting Cathy Craigie about suffering both the stress of being caught in the gridlock and looking into the cars next to her for a husband at the same time. Other presenters were marked with their ongoing absence and members of the expected audience were very thin on the ground.

You might think all this was shaping up to be the 'Festival from Hell' but eventually there was a very timely and welcome Moses and the Red Sea-like 'parting of the traffic' and the arrival of Dr Heiss looking radiant as if she indeed found her Mr Right. There were many other travelling stories to be told not the least of which was the one about the taxi ride from Sydney Central that cost $73.00 – normally less than $20, even in peak traffic.

But once the show began all thought of the outside world and its trauma dissolved in an aura of literary delights that were delivered with a panache expected of much higher paid performers.

How do you critique the minds and writing of Larissa Behrendt, John Maynard and company from the first panel session when their words had left many in the audience breathless and thinking 'dangerous stuff this thinking'.

As the day progressed and the creases across Cathie Craigie's forehead were replaced with infectious smiles I believe we all knew we were on a winner. The 'stars' all rolled out, Wesley Enoch, Romaine Moreton, the young, with Tara June Winch, and the not so young. Jared Thomas thrilled as he spoke of not only his latest book but also his ongoing commitment to young people. There were new books and signings with the release of the soft covered Alexis Wright novel Carpentaria and a plethora of works by others. Again, I spent too much. If this keeps up I'm going to have to start a chapter of Books Anonymous.

Although some people could not stay all day, for those of who did we were treated to a smorgasbord of humour, poetry with pathos by Black Words very own Yvette Holt who paints pictures with words leaving the audience with tiny glimpses of the lives of herself and her 'magic' daughter. Then there were tales from life writing and all that that encompasses, especially from Auntie Ruby Langford-Ginibi, more poetry – polished and impromptu. Finally as the evening and darkness enclosed the centre, we were treated with entertainment of 'spoken word and music'.

A truly magic day spent with Black writers, our 'families' and our friends.

News from Yvette Holt, University of Queensland
Greetings Readers,
What an exhilarating last couple of weeks it has been for me and fellow Black Worders. As I'm sure most of you would know, September sees us entering the last quarter of the Australian Writer's Festivals series, concluding at the BWF (Brisbane Writer's Festival, 9-13 September). At the time, I was partaking in some very interesting work as a Community Facilitator for the Fred Hollows 'See My World' Project in Katherine, Beswick (Arnhem Land), Kununurra (north-west Kimberley) and finally completing workshops in Darwin and Alice Springs.

This was an amazing opportunity to work alongside community folk aged 15-25 years, to contribute to an Indigenous anthology due for release in mid-2009. After completing the work for the Fred Hollows Foundation, I was seconded to run community workshops for the Northern Territory Writers' Centre, which entailed collecting a compilation of Indigenous Territorians storytelling, poems and short stories. This included workshops that I held on Larrakia land (Darwin) and Arrente land (Alice Springs). Truly, truly spectacular country!

To summarise this wonderful experience – the main thing I enjoyed above all else was meeting folks who unreservedly shared their cultural heritage, knowledge, wisdom, and inter-generational storytelling. I have met many humorous, serious, intellectual and impatient folks on this sojourn who are fiercely committed to improving the literacy deficit between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians, thereby paving the way so we can all equally share in the wealth and diversity of this nation's literary history.

News from Carolyn Moylan, University of Western Australia
We have three Aboriginal authors in the West who have recently published books: Heather Vicenti's Too Many Tears relates her life story and the loss of identity she felt as a half-caste infant who was removed by Native Welfare from her desert tribe to a mission farm, only to have her own children removed by Child Welfare a generation later.

The two other authors are Aboriginal grandparents and elders from the Noongar community – Noel Morrison, who wrote and illustrated Carrolup Inspired, a book of Indigenous stories accompanied by his paintings and Theresa Walley's, Dreamtime, a series of stories around her Dreamtime, also accompanied by her paintings depicting the stories being told. Both authors are involved with The Smith Family Learning for Life program in Kwinana, Western Australia.

In addition to working on Black Words and continuing with my PhD, over the past three months I chaired the Speaking Up and Speaking Out Indigenous women's panel for the Engendering Leadership Through Research and Practice Conference held at the University of Western Australia in late July. This was an exciting opportunity to be involved with many talented and knowledgeable Indigenous women speakers. The panel was led by Darlene Oxenham and included keynote speaker, Adjunct Professor Pat Dudgeon who was joined by panellists from the Western Australian Aboriginal community such as Adjunct Professor Joan Winch, June Oscar, Kathy Cox, Cissy Gore-Birch and Denese Griffin.

In helping to educate non-Aboriginal people in the wider community I have also facilitated a women's cultural workshop for workers at the Department of Water in Piney Lakes, Melville, Western Australia. These cultural workshops are an opportunity to spend time with a group of Nyungar women and learn more about their traditional and contemporary roles.

In October I will be attending the ball for the 25th Anniversary of the Centre for Aboriginal Studies at Curtin University (The Centre was started earlier than this but it was originally on the WAITE campus, so really we should be notching up more than 30 years). Since I have no Godmother I will have to go to the shop and find myself a Cinderella dress and shoes. So, sorry, no goss 'til then!

Aside from that, NAIDOC has come and gone and as usual a much needed catch-up with community has been had. I will continue on with the normal busy life we all have as Aboriginal people (I'm sure you all can relate to that and know what I mean) that includes the daily tending and response to the family needs and community issues that arise. Sounds awfully tiring, but is very rewarding.

Black Words has an evolving calendar of events, because many of the significant dates for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples are the subject of some of the writing or author records listed in the Black Words subset. When you check it out, you will see that you can click on the time line to see what happened in a particular historical period and then check out the content in Black Words. Let us know what you think about it. Or if you wish to see another event listed let us know. Email: info-austlit@austlit.edu.au or fill in the Black Words feedback form.