Stan Grant on the British monarchy, Australia and its legacy of whiteness.

Wiradjuri man and author Stan Grant says he wrote his new book, The Queen is Dead, in an explosive burst and in real time, as events unfolded. Despite the quick writing time, there is nothing rushed or rash in Grant's book. This is a deeply considered work with not a word wasted or out of place.

When Queen Elizabeth died, Grant expected there would be some discussion of the effect of colonialism and conquest on the lives of First Nations people. While many may have wished to mourn the queen, there should also have been recognition of the terrible legacy of English invasion and occupation. As a Wiradjuri man, Grant felt this personally.  When colleagues and friends confessed feeling a sadness, even shedding a tear, over the queen's passing, Grant felt betrayed. Why didn't his friends consider his perspective, or that of his people's? Didn't they know the queen represented hundreds of years of oppression, suffering and violence? 

The major theme, you could say, of The Queen is Dead is the notion of whiteness. Whiteness as an historical phenomenon and institutional power. A whiteness that is so pervasive, at every level of society, that white people themselves don't see it. They simply see life proceeding as normal. Yet for First Nations people, everyday they are running up against whiteness – at work, in politics, in popular culture. Most importantly, in everyday life, in the endless comments on race, skin colour and heritage.

While Stan Grant discusses the large philosophical issues – the weight of history, white ignorance and blindness, how these power structures crush First Nations people – the book has a deep, almost confessional vein. Grant examines his personal emotions, how they swing from hate and resentment to love and forgiveness. These sections are vulnerable and brave in trying to get across the truth of the author's experience and feelings. They make for humbling reading.

Stan Grant brings his formidable mix of intellect, passion and truth-telling to a subject many may want to turn away from. Uncomfortable reading, but essential. 

The Queen is Dead, by Stan Grant. Published by 4th Estate. $34.99

Review by Chris Saliba​

An expert on American politics entertains the possibility of a second Trump term.

What would happen to Australia should Donald Trump win a second term as president of the United States? Such a situation seems an impossibility, yet the same was said for Trump’s 2016 election win. As author and political adviser Bruce Wolpe states, US politics is so volatile and divisive, anything is possible.

Trump’s Australia suggests a triumphant second Trump term could embolden extreme right-wing elements at home, but ultimately pulls back from this argument. Instead, Wolpe asserts that Australia's democratic institutions—such as mandatory voting, the independence of the Australian Electoral Commission—ensure our politics doesn't become polarised. A further bulwark against radicalism is the prominence of the national broadcaster, the ABC, ensuring a trusted outlet for quality news reporting.

For the most part, Trump’s Australia provides a recap of Trump's time in office and his attitude to policy areas such as China, North Korea, climate, health, race, free trade and abortion rights. It features extensive interviews with former government officials, insiders and experts, giving the text a breadth of interesting opinion. In essence, Wolpe (a former adviser to the Gillard government) contrasts US and Australian democracy, and finds our system to be much more resilient.

This book is a stark reminder of how catastrophic a second Trump term would be,  questioning how Australia would respond on a range of policy fronts. Politicians and engaged citizens should take note.

Trump's Australia: How Trumpism Changed Australia and the Shocking Consequences for Us of a Second Term, by Bruce Wolpe. Allen & Unwin. $34.99 Release date 20th June, 2023.

Review by Chris Saliba

This review first appeared at Books + Publishing

​Nineteen intricate and nuanced stories about the experiences of First Nations Australians.

Western Australian writer Archie Weller has published novels, poetry and short stories. His novel The Day of the Dog was made into the film Blackfellas. His 2009 short story collection, The Window Seat, is here republished as part of the First Nations Classics series.

Weller is a versatile writer and the 19 stories presented here cover many styles and genres, from mystery and crime to dystopian, futuristic themes. For the most part, Weller's fiction examines the difficulties of growing up mixed-race and Aboriginal: the prejudice, low expectations and bullying by police. There are also stories that explore Indigenous culture and spirituality.

While Weller often describes the brutal facts of life for First Nations people – violence, stints in jail, wrongful arrest, racism – his evocations of land, wildlife  and country are beautiful and ornate. Weller also has a good ear for dialogue which brings his characters vividly to life. These are stories firmly rooted in personal experience, providing a unique perspective on Australian life.

A special mention must go to the collection's title story "The Window Seat", which rivals Guy de Maupassant's "Boule de Suif" for its brilliance at exposing hypocrisy and moral vacuity. An elderly Aboriginal woman is taking a final bus ride home, but the white man who must sit next to her is full of resentment and racist thoughts. When he later discovers something about the woman, his smug moral universe is turned upside down.

A fine collection that explores a side of Australia rarely seen.

The Window Seat, by Archie Weller. Published by Queensland University Press. $19.99

Released May 30, 2023

Ruby Langford Ginibi's classic memoir is a no holds barred story of pain, joy and survival

As part of its new series of First Nations Classics, University of Queensland Press is re-publishing Ruby Langford Ginibi's acclaimed memoir Don't Take Your Love to Town (1988).

Langford Ginibi, a Bundjalong woman, was born in 1934 and raised in the small New South Wales town of Bonalbo. Her mother left the family when she was six, to marry another man. By age 16 Ruby was pregnant and she would go on to have nine children by several fathers. These relationships started out good, but would eventually turn sour, ending in either neglect or abuse. Langford Ginibi, in wiser old age, would swear off men, hence the book's title. Tragically, three of her children died, causing her years of grief – and a drinking problem that she finally kicked.

It's hard to understate how extraordinary a memoir this is. Langford Ginibi, viewed as a character on the page, is a mix of Chaucer's Wife of Bath and Brecht's Mother Courage, a woman of irrepressible life force and a tough survivor. She is a workhorse providing for her brood, living rough in outback tents and killing her own food. She brawls and drinks, would give you the shirt off her back if asked and raises a glass to life despite its endless hardships, especially for First Nations people.

At 400 pages long, there is never a dull moment in Don't Take Your Love to Town, as it chronicles a life lived to the fullest. Despite the vein of pain and suffering that runs through the book, Langford Ginibi is also very funny. She has an ironic turn of phrase and delightfully blunt sense of humour that gives her story heart and humanity.

An incredible memoir, an incredible life lived. Indeed, a classic.

Don't Take Your Love to Town, by Ruby Langford Ginibi. Published by Queensland University Press. $19.99

Released May 30, 2023

A retired schoolteacher is found in the Atlantic Ocean with twenty deflated balloons.

Professor William Waterman Sherman is a retired school teacher. He decides to take a leisurely balloon trip, departing from the city of San Francisco. His balloon is somewhat of a luxury one, as it carries a basket the size of a small house, fitted out with the basic necessities for comfortable living. The trip goes well, with the Professor flying over the Pacific Ocean, until some seagulls start pecking at his balloon. He crashes to earth and finds himself on the volcanic island of Krakatoa. It is there he meets a certain Mr F, who introduces him to the unusual inhabitants of the island. Twenty families reside there, living on what they term a “restaurant economy”, equally sharing cooking responsibilities and making sure the cuisine is always varied and delicious. The most extraordinary aspect of the island is the revelation that it contains a diamond mine, with enough diamonds to make all the island's residents multi-millionaires. However, there is a sting in the tail of this apparent good fortune. The full diamond value can't be realised because if they were all sold on the world market it would chronically depreciate their value.

The residents spend their days in pleasant pursuits, and have invented some interesting technologies of their own. One charming novelty they have created is a merry-go-round which is suspended with balloons. Another invention involves a huge suspended platform – again with balloons, twenty in all – that is to be used in case of a volcanic eruption, when a speedy getaway for Krakatoa's residents would be required.
When the Professor is later found mysteriously floating in the Atlantic Ocean, he is rescued and presents a talk at the Western American Explorers' Club about his experiences.

William Pene du Bois published The Twenty-One Balloons in 1947, with illustrations by himself. The book soon went on to win an award, the Newbery Medal. It's an exciting and innovative adventure story, with plenty of amusing contraptions described in minute detail – think TV's Gilligan's Island, but technologically more sophisticated. The novel is well paced and lively (the early scenes describing the gathering excitement as the Professor travels to deliver his speech, from a specially prepared bed to accommodate his fatigue, is especially amusing).

A thoroughly enjoyable children's classic full of energy, invention and good cheer. 

The Twenty-One Balloons, by William Pene du Bois. Published by Puffin.