Flock : First Nations stories then and now

Select an Action

Title:

Flock : First Nations stories then and now / edited by Ellen van Neerven.

Author/Creator:

Neerven, Ellen van, 1990-, editor

Publication:

2021.

Notes:

Includes bilbiographical references.

Contents:

Cloud busting / Tara June Winch -- Waltzing Matilda / Herb Wharton -- Shadows on the wall / Archie Weller -- The release / Samuel Wagan Watson -- Each city / Ellen Van Neerven -- Rodeo girl / Michael Torres -- Honey / Adam Thompson -- The healing tree / Jared Thomas -- Wildflower girl / Alf Taylor -- Galah / Melanie Saward -- River story / Mykaela Saunders -- Stepmother / SJ Norman -- Wait for me / Jasmin McGaughey -- Split / Cassie Lynch -- / Dreamers / Melissa Lucashenko -- Forbidden fruit / Jeanine Leane -- The golden wedding anniversary / Gayle Kennedy -- Born, still / Jane Harrison -- Frank Slim / Tony Birch -- / Moama / Bryan Andy.

Summary:

This wide-ranging and captivating anthology showcases both the power of First Nations writing and the satisfaction of a good short story. Curated by award-winning author Ellen van Neerven, Flock roams the landscape of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander storytelling, bringing together voices from across the generations. Featuring established authors such as Alexis Wright, Tony Birch and Melissa Lucashenko, and rising stars such as Adam Thompson and Mykaela Saunders, Flock confirms the ongoing resonance and originality of First Nations stories.

ISBN:

9780702263033 (paperback)

0702263036 (paperback)

Subjects:

Aboriginal Australians -- Literary collections.

Short stories, Australian -- Aboriginal authors.

Short stories.

Australian Aborigines

Other Authors/Creators:

Neerven, Ellen van, 1990-, author, editor.

Record ID:

SD_ILS:1362615

Available:

Library	Shelf Location	Shelf Number	Item Category 2	Item category 3	Status
Searching... Devonport Library	Adult fiction (paperback)	FLOC	Adult paperback	Undefined	Searching... Unknown
Searching... Whitemark Library	Adult fiction (paperback)	FLOC	Adult paperback	Undefined	Searching... Unknown

Bound With These Titles

On Order

Summary

This wide-ranging and captivating anthology showcases both the power of First Nations writing and the satisfaction of a good short story. Curated by award-winning author Ellen van Neerven, Flock roams the landscape of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander storytelling, bringing together voices from across the generations. Featuring established authors such as Tony Birch and Melissa Lucashenko, and rising stars such as Adam Thompson and Mykaela Saunders, Flock confirms the ongoing resonance and originality of First Nations stories.

Reviews (1)

Bookseller Publisher Review

Flock is a far-roaming collection of short fiction showcasing the voices of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander writers. The 20 stories are by a mix of established luminaries and emerging talent, and all have been previously published elsewhere, between 1996--2021. As editor Ellen van Neerven reminds us, 'The roots of these First Nations stories span generations, this book being part of a much bigger conversation.' The names within are an electrifying lot that includes 2020 Miles Franklin--winner Tara June Winch, as well as Tony Birch, Melissa Lucashenko, Samuel Wagan Watson and newcomer Adam Thompson. Van Neerven, too, contributes a tale. It's not surprising to find elegies for Country within the book, as well as anger and lamentations about colonial dispossession and the Stolen Generations, of 'Sorry business, no justice and no reckoning for the innocent and the wretched'. But Flock is broad in scope and touches on all manner of life's beauty and messiness. Ultimately, it's the quality of the writing that impresses as much as the themes explored. Native red-tailed black cockatoos adorn the cover; they're a totemic species for many First Nations Australians and are a perfect symbol of collective strength. As van Neerven posits, 'We all have our own pair of beautiful wings, but we fly together in formation. Together we are stronger. We flock together.' Thuy On is a freelance arts journalist and reviewer, and the books editor of the Big Issue.