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Blak & Bright First Nations Literary Festival acknowledges the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung people of the Kulin Nation as the traditional custodians of the sacred lands on which we work. We pay our respects to the people of the Kulin Nations and all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Elders, past present and future.

We recognise all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders as the first storytellers; and that knowledge transfer through storytelling is imbedded in the very DNA of this Country.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people should be aware that this website may contain images, voices or names of deceased persons in photographs, film, audio recordings or printed material.

Three minute ‘bonus’ yarns from emerging community storytellers will pop up at the start of many sessions. See the future of Blak writing here first. Thank you to the Victorian Women’s Trust: Christine Friday and Kathleen Dooley Sub-Fund for giving us the opportunity to hold free masterclasses with award winning writer Jeanine Leane; and also for making this video possible!         Workshop Artist: Jeanine Leane Jeanine Leane is a Wiradjuri writer, poet and academic from southwest New South Wales. Her first volume of poetry, Dark Secrets After Dreaming: A.D. 1887-1961 (2010, Presspress) won the Scanlon Prize for Indigenous Poetry, 2010 and her first novel, Purple Threads (UQP), won the David Unaipon Award for an unpublished Indigenous writer in 2010. Her poetry and short stories have been published in Hecate: An Interdisciplinary Journal of Women’s LiberationThe Journal for the Association European Studies of AustraliaJournal for the Association of Australian Literary Studies, Australian Poetry JournalAntipodesOverlandBest Australian PoemsLifted BrowSoutherly and Australian Book Review.  

Featuring...

Bebe Backhouse

Hailing from the Kimberley region of north-Western Australia, Bebe Backhouse is a Bardi Jawi creator who’s called Narrm (Melbourne) home for ten years. Beginning his creative practice as a classical pianist and composer, Bebe was awarded a West Australian Youth Award at twenty-one for his work as a music teacher to young Indigenous people. He…

Beau Windon

Beau Windon is a neurodivergent writer of Wiradjuri descent based in Naarm. He writes quirky stories about quirky people with a focus on YA fiction and creative non-fiction. Under the pen/stage name, Beau SYW, you can experience his words weaved together in raw chaotic poetry. If you see him out in the wild, approach with…

Kimmie Lovegrove

Kimmie Lovegrove is a proud Ngarrindjeri woman who has been doing comedy since 2014. She has was a Deadly Funny finalist in 2017 and 2018. Since then she has been producing comedy shows that highlight Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander comedians in Victoria. She was a special guest on the Melbourne International Comedy Festival roadshow…

Coral Reeve

Ngata, I’m Coral and I am a Gunditjmara woman living in Djilang (Geelong), I’m currently completing my Master of Arts, Writing and Literature. After 10 years of studying, writing and publishing work I will aim to run an Editing/publishing business as well as tutoring. I’m a mother to a beautiful boy and love to go…

Stevie Wappett

I grew up on Bundjalung Country as a diasporic Biripi person. Not being connected to my Country or community, I began to make up worlds to heal via creative writing. My interest lies in Indigenous Futurism and its capacity to counter and transcend colonial narratives that inhibit Indigenous voices and experiences. The ultimate aim is…

Ricki Spencer

Ricki Spencer (They/Them) M.Ed. is a qualified teacher and current student at the University of Melbourne completing their Master of Learning Intervention. They are a public advocate for people living with a disability, transgender, and First Nation whom are important identities lived. They are completing their thesis on “Do secondary school teachers disrupt heteronormative practices…

Lenora Thaker

Lenora is a Mabuiag-laig and Meriam woman, born and raised on Yidinji and Yirrganydji country in far north Queensland.  Her passion has been documenting her family’s history over many years, working with Elders to help bring their stories to life in DVD and television documentaries and working on her own fiction and non-fiction writing.   She…

Add to Calendar 2022-03-19 10:00:00 2022-03-20 18:15:00 Australia/Melbourne Yarn Bombers

Three minute ‘bonus’ yarns from emerging community storytellers will pop up at the start of many sessions. See the future of Blak writing here first. Thank you to the Victorian Women’s Trust: Christine Friday and Kathleen Dooley Sub-Fund for giving us the opportunity to hold free masterclasses with award winning writer Jeanine Leane; and also…

The Wheeler Centre: Performance Space,

176 Little Lonsdale St
Melbourne, VIC 3000 Australia

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Blackfulla Book Club

With Instagram’s iconic Blackfulla Book Club creators Merinda Dutton and and Teela Reid, we delve into two intricate and engaging books, Another Day in the Colony and Song of the Crocodile, with their talented authors Chelsea Watego and Nardi Simpson. 

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