Bruce Pascoe on Writing in Indigenous Voice

Bruce Pascoe, author of the bestselling Dark Emu (Magabala) is the recipient of the 2021 Australian Society of Authors (ASA) Award. Bruce Pascoe said 'It means a lot to me. I thank writers and I thank artists because we are burdened with the responsibility of making sure our story is told, and that it is told correctly, for the sake of our grandchildren, our great-grandchildren, and this great country, with its 120,000 years of history.’

Accepting the award, his message to writers is: ‘I know that there’s anguish among writers considering writing about Aboriginal history. If you want to do this, Aboriginal people need to be known to you. The imprint of your lips needs to be on their cup, and theirs on yours. Your fingerprints must be on their table, and theirs on yours. That’s the condition.’

We've been stumbling for the right words to describe the creative responsibility we feel in the field of writing in indigenous voice, about indigenous matters. The discussion here at Journeys to Words Publishing is ongoing, and has more than once needed to be applied to manuscripts coming our way. Bruce's insightful words have provided clarity.

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