AustLit

'The inclusion of Alexis Wright’s Carpentaria (2006) in the core syllabus (tronc commun) of the 2022 Agrégation competitive exam – for both the “internal” and “external” examination1 – is a cause for celebration. Before the inclusion of Carpentaria, Australian literature had featured only once in the national syllabus, in the literary option, with Patrick White’s Voss (1957) in 1977 – 45 years ago – and writing that is not from the UK, Ireland, or the United States usually featured in the optional literary strand of the syllabus. The addition of a second work of Australian literature, but more importantly the inclusion, for the very first time in the history of the Agrégation, of a work of Aboriginal literature in the core syllabus of the competitive exam, has been the source of great joy amongst students in France and academics working in France and other countries. What an honour to be given this opportunity to focus intensely on Carpentaria and Aboriginal literature.' (Introduction)

'Matteo Dutto’s Legacies of Indigenous Resistance, which was recently shortlisted for the 2021 ASAL Alvie Egan Award, is a remarkable book. It is the first book that examines comparatively the legacies of three Indigenous Australian resistance leaders, Pemulwuy, Yagan, and Jandamarra, and provides close analysis of works by Indigenous Australian writers, filmmakers, performers, and communities, who have retold their stories. Pemulwuy, a Bidjigal/Eora man (from the area spreading west from what is now called Botany Bay to Salt Pan Creek) was born around 1750 and fought against the British between 1790 and 1802; a Bunuba (from the Kimberley region of Western Australia), Jandamarra was born around 1873 and killed in 1897; a Noongar (from the Perth area), Yagan was born around 1795 and killed in 1833. Interested in “the social power of storytelling” (3), Dutto, an Italian scholar, focuses on these historical figures because their stories “have produced since their death the largest corpus of incarnations across different media” (12), and “forc[e] us to acknowledge the unceded sovereignty of First Nations across Australia and to question the legitimacy of settler colonial authority” (11).' (Introduction)

'This special issue on “Environmental Artistic Practices and Indigeneity: In(ter)ventions, Recycling, Sovereignty" constitutes a body of creative contributions and academic articles addressing numerous forms of artistic practices of the Pacific Islands, Australia, French Guiana, the Caribbean, and Southeast Asia. Inspired by Indigenous artists and writers whose practices and creativity help reimagine sustainable ways to inhabit the world, this introduction and our special issue interrogate contemporary environmental issues and the legacy of colonisation. They examine how Indigenous artists and writers, and artists working with Indigenous artists and communities, have for decades raised awareness about environmental issues, and encouraged people to regain their agency to struggle against environmental degradation and further destruction of Indigenous people’s societies and health. This introduction contextualises the concepts and Indigenous terms used by artists to express their vision of what a respectful relationship with the environment would be. It also offers readings of the beautiful literary and artistic creative contributions included in this issue. Environmental themes such as waste recycling, health issues, pollutants (mercury, POPs), and agricultural technics are discussed here in light of human and non-human life and agency. This issue also features a significant range of calls for action to better protect and restore ecosystems.' (Publication abstract)

'This special issue on Environmental Artistic Practices and Indigeneity: In(ter)ventions, Recycling, Sovereignty brings together creative works, poetic essays, and academic articles which address numerous forms of Indigenous artistic practices. This collection speaks literally and metaphorically of the land, ocean and river ecosystems of the Pacific Islands, Australia, French Guiana, the Caribbean, and Southeast Asia.' (Publication summary)

'A never forgotten moment for my people that went to First World War.' Fiona Clarke

'In March 2018, Aboriginal Kirrae Whurrong artist Fiona Clarke is invited to the Paris Book Fair to accompany 'Un homme de sagesse', the translation into French of 'Wisdom Man: Banjo Clarke as told to Camilla Chance', the bestseller book of her late father. For many years Fiona has wanted to visit the grave of her great uncle William Reginald Rawlings MM, who was a soldier during the Great War, fought in the Vauvillers battle of August 1918, and was posthumously awarded the Military Medal for his bravery. She is the first family member to visit the grave. Little does she know that a solemn and moving welcoming ceremony is awaiting her in Harbonnières, Somme, France...'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'The life story of Banjo Clarke, descendant of Truganini, born in the early 1920s in Victoria, who became known by thousands for his wisdom and kindness, his belief in forgiveness and his deep connection to his land and his ancient culture.' (Source: TROVE)

'Visual anthropology and the anthropology of the visual generate a strong interest in various domains such as academia, museums, cultural institutions, and festivals. As crucial means to study “what is not visual in human society” (MacDougall 2004), they offer an invitation akin to that of Indigenous studies to move beyond disciplinary boundaries as well as “to reveal and accept the complexity of knowledge intersections” (Nakata 2004: 13). Through the analysis of how different visual, textual, and performative materials are constructed and circulate, this issue aims to reflect and prolong the dialogues established by its contributors across the disciplines, beyond academia, and between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people. It includes contributions from scholars – some of whom are also filmmakers, artists, poets, educators, and curators – who are Indigenous or have worked with Indigenous people for at least a decade (in some cases several decades), and who have produced visual materials as a result of these collaborations. This issue interrogates and provides examples of how to incorporate new decolonising, emancipating or empowering knowledge and approaches into academic, visual, and cultural productions. It also examines the challenge tackled by most authors to engage new audiences and create bridges between societies while respecting Indigenous protocols and codes of ethics. The contributions were developed as part of the Research Project “TransOceanik: Interactive Research, Mapping, and Creative Agency in the Pacific, the Indian Ocean and the Atlantic”, an international collaboration (Laboratoire International Associé, 2012-2015) between the French National Scientific Research Centre (CNRS-LAS) and James Cook University/The Cairns Institute.' (Publication abstract)

'Dealing with the end of a world taking place on the Australian land, Sam Watson’s The Kadaitcha Sung – A Seductive Tale of Sorcery, Eroticism and Corruption and Eric Willmot’s Below the Line are both fictions that picture Australia in a state of—respectively—covert and internal, or (inter)national war. The Kadaitcha Sung tells the story of Tommy Gubba, son of Koobara, son of the chief of the Kadaitcha clan, and Fleur, a white woman, of Northern European descent. Tommy was born secretly after his uncle Booka Roth killed his father to become the last of the Kadaitcha clan. The Kadaitcha clan is in the novel an "ancient clan of sorcerers" (1) called by Biamee to stand among the tribes of the South Land (i.e. Australia) when he returned among the stars. Tommy is initiated and called by Biamee to recuperate the heart of the Rainbow Serpent stolen by Booka Roth, without which Biamee cannot "complete his earthly manifestation". Ensuing from the war that Booka waged against his own people, the veil of mists that Biamee had set upon the South Land is lifted, and "other mortals" come from "all corners of the globe and from every branch of the family of man" (33) and join forces with Booka, defeating the tribes of South Land that cannot match the weapons of the invaders (34). Tommy is to take revenge on the migloo ("fair-skinned" people), who have "raped and pillaged" (31) his people, and conquered the entire land (35). A fast pace narrative, The Kadaitcha Sung is also an action-packed novel, to which this quick introduction cannot do justice. In Below the Line, the story follows the steps of Angela, a white Australian, who at the beginning of the novel is incarcerated and raped in a camp in New Guinea. Freed and sent to Hawaii, she discovers that Australia has lost a war against Indonesia, and that the continent is now divided into two. Below the Brisbane Line is still Australia. Above the Brisbane Line is now called South Irian. Several characters analyze the situation in the course of the novel, and it is unsure whether Australia’s occupation is the result of the USA intervening too late and the UN being unable to change the course of the new colonisation of the country (four million foreign refugees now live in South Irian), or if Australia has indeed been abandoned by its allies because of other international interests in the region. Against her husband’s wish, Angela decides to go back to what is her homeland, where she becomes obsessed with the idea to find the woman she was incarcerated with in New Guinea. On her quest to find the mysterious Delta, and her journey across the country, she comes to understand that there is a third player in the game: the land and its "chosen ones."' (Introduction)