Anita Heiss – författare

I'm Aboriginal. I'm just not the Aboriginal person a lot of people want or expect me to be.What does it mean to be Aboriginal? Why is Australia so obsessed with notions of identity? Anita Heiss, successful author and passionate campaigner for Aboriginal literacy, was born a member of the Wiradjuri nation of central New South Wales, but was raised in the suburbs of Sydney and educated at the local Catholic school. She is Aboriginal; however, this does not mean she likes to go barefoot and, please, don't ask her to camp in the desert. After years of stereotyping Aboriginal Australians as either settlement dwellers or rioters in Redfern, the Australian media have discovered a new crime to charge them with: being too ""fair-skinned"" to be Australian Aboriginal. Such accusations led to Anita's involvement in one of the most important and sensational Australian legal decisions of the 21st-century when she joined others in charging a newspaper columnist with breaching the Racial Discrimination Act. He was found guilty, and the repercussions continue.Am I Black Enough for You? is a deeply personal memoir, told in her distinctive, wry style, Anita Heiss gives a first-hand account of her experiences as a woman with an Aboriginal mother and Austrian father, and explains the development of her activist consciousness.Read her story and ask: what does it take for someone to be black enough for you?

This new 2016 edition of the ground-breaking The Intervention: An Anthologyincludes a preface by Anita Heiss and brings together someof Australia’s greatest Indigenous and non-Indigenous writers andthinkers who analyse, illuminate and voice their anger, disgust andhorror at the Intervention introduced by the Howard governmentin 2007. Through fiction, memoir, essays, speeches, poetry andcommuniqués, The Intervention brings a new perspective and urgencyto one of the most invasive, puzzling and unprecedented actions by agovernment in Australian history – one that largely remains outside thepublic radar.

What is it like to grow up Aboriginal in Australia? This anthology, compiled by award-winning author Anita Heiss, attempts to showcase as many diverse voices, experiences and stories as possible in order to answer that question. Each account reveals, to some degree, the impacts of invasion and colonisation – on language, on country, on ways of life, and on how people are treated daily in the community, the education system, the workplace and friendship groups. Accounts from well-known authors and high-profile identities sit alongside newly discovered voices of all ages, with experiences spanning coastal and desert regions, cities and remote communities. All of them speak to the heart – sometimes calling for empathy, oftentimes challenging stereotypes, always demanding respect. This groundbreaking anthology aims to enlighten, inspire and educate about the lives of Aboriginal people in Australia today.

‘There are books you encounter as an adult that you wish you could press into the hands of your younger self. Bila Yarrudhanggalangdhuray is one of those books – a novel that turns Australia’s long-mythologised settler history into a raw and resilient heartsong.' – Guardian ***WINNER 2022 NSW PREMIER'S LITERARY AWARD INDIGENOUS WRITER'S PRIZE*** ***2022 ABIA SHORTLIST******2021 ARA HISTORICAL NOVEL PRIZE SHORTLIST***  ***2022 STELLA PRIZE LONGLIST*** ***2022 INDIE BOOK AWARDS LONGLIST***  ***2022 VICTORIAN PREMIER'S LITERARY AWARDS HIGHLY COMMENDED*** _______________________________________________ Gundagai, 1852 The powerful Murrumbidgee River surges through town leaving death and destruction in its wake. It is a stark reminder that while the river can give life, it can just as easily take it away. Wagadhaany is one of the lucky ones. She survives. But is her life now better than the fate she escaped? Forced to move away from her miyagan, she walks through each day with no trace of dance in her step, her broken heart forever calling her back home to Gundagai. When she meets Wiradyuri stockman Yindyamarra, Wagadhaany’s heart slowly begins to heal. But still, she dreams of a better life, away from the degradation of being owned. She longs to set out along the river of her ancestors, in search of lost family and country. Can she find the courage to defy the White man’s law? And if she does, will it bring hope ... or heartache?Set on timeless Wiradyuri country, where the life-giving waters of the rivers can make or break dreams, and based on devastating true events, Bila Yarrudhanggalangdhuray (River of Dreams) is an epic story of love, loss and belonging.Praise for Bila Yarrudhanggalangdhuray (River of Dreams) 'Heiss fuses fiction with realism, conjuring a resonance still felt in Blak struggle today ... packs heart into every page.' – Saturday Paper 'Tells a powerful and affecting tale of Aboriginal people's identity, community and deep connection to country.’ – Canberra Times 'A profoundly moving showcase of Heiss’ skill ... Intimate, reflective, and impossible to put down.’  – AU Review ‘Engrossing and wonderful storytelling. I really loved these strong, brave Wiradyuri characters.’ – Melissa Lucashenko ‘A powerful story of family, place and belonging.’ – Kate Grenville ‘A remarkable story of courage and a love of country ... Anita Heiss writes with heart and energy on every page.’ – Tony Birch'It is a love story, a story of loss, a hopeful story. The river is a guide, but you have to be open to its spiritual lessons.' – Terri Janke ‘Anita Heiss is at the height of her storytelling powers in this inspiring, heart-breaking, profound tale.’ – Larissa Behrendt 'The novel flows like the great Murrumbidgee River itself, with powerful undercurrents that sweep the reader along - I feel it's a book that all Australians should read, to try and understand why our colonial past still causes so much pain and grievance.’ – Kate Forsyth

‘There are books you encounter as an adult that you wish you could press into the hands of your younger self. Bila Yarrudhanggalangdhuray is one of those books – a novel that turns Australia’s long-mythologised settler history into a raw and resilient heartsong.' – Guardian ***WINNER 2022 NSW PREMIER'S LITERARY AWARD INDIGENOUS WRITER'S PRIZE*** ***2022 ABIA SHORTLIST******2021 ARA HISTORICAL NOVEL PRIZE SHORTLIST***  ***2022 STELLA PRIZE LONGLIST*** ***2022 INDIE BOOK AWARDS LONGLIST***  ***2022 VICTORIAN PREMIER'S LITERARY AWARDS HIGHLY COMMENDED*** _______________________________________________ Gundagai, 1852 The powerful Murrumbidgee River surges through town leaving death and destruction in its wake. It is a stark reminder that while the river can give life, it can just as easily take it away. Wagadhaany is one of the lucky ones. She survives. But is her life now better than the fate she escaped? Forced to move away from her miyagan, she walks through each day with no trace of dance in her step, her broken heart forever calling her back home to Gundagai. When she meets Wiradyuri stockman Yindyamarra, Wagadhaany’s heart slowly begins to heal. But still, she dreams of a better life, away from the degradation of being owned. She longs to set out along the river of her ancestors, in search of lost family and country. Can she find the courage to defy the White man’s law? And if she does, will it bring hope ... or heartache?Set on timeless Wiradyuri country, where the life-giving waters of the rivers can make or break dreams, and based on devastating true events, Bila Yarrudhanggalangdhuray (River of Dreams) is an epic story of love, loss and belonging.Praise for Bila Yarrudhanggalangdhuray (River of Dreams) 'Heiss fuses fiction with realism, conjuring a resonance still felt in Blak struggle today ... packs heart into every page.' – Saturday Paper 'Tells a powerful and affecting tale of Aboriginal people's identity, community and deep connection to country.’ – Canberra Times 'A profoundly moving showcase of Heiss’ skill ... Intimate, reflective, and impossible to put down.’  – AU Review ‘Engrossing and wonderful storytelling. I really loved these strong, brave Wiradyuri characters.’ – Melissa Lucashenko ‘A powerful story of family, place and belonging.’ – Kate Grenville ‘A remarkable story of courage and a love of country ... Anita Heiss writes with heart and energy on every page.’ – Tony Birch'It is a love story, a story of loss, a hopeful story. The river is a guide, but you have to be open to its spiritual lessons.' – Terri Janke ‘Anita Heiss is at the height of her storytelling powers in this inspiring, heart-breaking, profound tale.’ – Larissa Behrendt 'The novel flows like the great Murrumbidgee River itself, with powerful undercurrents that sweep the reader along - I feel it's a book that all Australians should read, to try and understand why our colonial past still causes so much pain and grievance.’ – Kate Forsyth

'Dirrayawadha is full of heart and hope, truth-telling and history – and shimmers with language too' Guardian'A story from the past given vivid life for new understanding’​ Kate Grenville_______________________________________________Bathurst, 1820sMiinaa was a young girl when the white ghosts first arrived. She remembers the day they raised a piece of cloth and renamed her homeland 'Bathurst'. Now she lives at Cloverdale and works for a white family who have settled there. The Nugents are kind, but Miinaa misses her miyagan. His brother, Windradyne, is a Wiradyuri leader, and visits when he can, bringing news of unrest across their ngurambang. Miinaa hopes the violence will not come to Cloverdale. When Irish convict Daniel O'Dwyer arrives at the settlement, Miinaa's life is transformed again. The pair are magnetically drawn to each other and begin meeting at the bila in secret. Dan understands how it feels to be displaced, but they still have a lot to learn about each other. Can their love survive their differences and the turmoil that threatens to destroy everything around them? From the bestselling author of  Bila Yarrudhanggalangdhuray (River of Dreams)  comes another groundbreaking historical novel about resistance, resilience and love during the frontier wars. Praise for Dirrayawadha (Rise Up):‘Dirrayawadha is a story of the courage of the Wiradyuri nation and the love of their Country. Anita Heiss is a remarkable writer.' Tony Birch ‘To read the book is to enter a lost time, a retrieved war, and to learn much, not least Wiradyuri. With dhuluny (truth) and marrumbang (love) of story, Heiss makes something good. And that is something for which modern Australia can be grateful.’ The Age 'Historical in tone, yet absolutely contemporary in scope, Dirrayawadha is a beautiful triumph.' Mirandi Riwoe 'Dirrayawadha is a beautifully written and masterful telling of a pivotal point in our history.' Nicole Alexander

‘I am deadly, desirable and delicious!’ This is Alice's mantra as she hilariously negotiates her way through the rocky terrain of singledom. Alice Aigner is successful, independent and a confirmed serial dater – but at her ten-year school reunion she has a sudden change of heart. Bored rigid by her married, mortgaged and motherly former classmates, Alice decides to prove that a woman can have it all: a man, marriage, career, kids and a mind of her own. She sets herself a goal: meet the perfect man and marry him before her thirtieth birthday, just under two years away. Together with her best friends Dannie, Liza and Peta, Alice draws up a ten-point plan. Then, with a little help from her family and friends, she sets out to find Mr Right. Unfortunately for Alice, it's not quite as easy as she imagines … Who could not fall in love with our Koori heroine as she dates (among others): Renan, whose career goal is to be the world's best moonwalker and male hula dancer; Tufu the commitment-phobic Samoan football player; scary Simon the one-night stand; and Paul - Mr Dreamboat, but perhaps too good to be true. All the while, Alice skilfully avoids dating Cliff, son of her mum's friend and confirmed bachelor who isn't likely to settle down with a woman anytime soon.

‘I am deadly, desirable and delicious!’ This is Alice's mantra as she hilariously negotiates her way through the rocky terrain of singledom. Alice Aigner is successful, independent and a confirmed serial dater – but at her ten-year school reunion she has a sudden change of heart. Bored rigid by her married, mortgaged and motherly former classmates, Alice decides to prove that a woman can have it all: a man, marriage, career, kids and a mind of her own. She sets herself a goal: meet the perfect man and marry him before her thirtieth birthday, just under two years away. Together with her best friends Dannie, Liza and Peta, Alice draws up a ten-point plan. Then, with a little help from her family and friends, she sets out to find Mr Right. Unfortunately for Alice, it's not quite as easy as she imagines … Who could not fall in love with our Koori heroine as she dates (among others): Renan, whose career goal is to be the world's best moonwalker and male hula dancer; Tufu the commitment-phobic Samoan football player; scary Simon the one-night stand; and Paul - Mr Dreamboat, but perhaps too good to be true. All the while, Alice skilfully avoids dating Cliff, son of her mum's friend and confirmed bachelor who isn't likely to settle down with a woman anytime soon.

A hilarious and heart-felt story of love, self-discovery and finding true happiness, from award-winning Wiradyuri author, Anita Heiss. Peta Tully thinks taking a man to Melbourne would be like taking a sandwich to a smorgasbord. That's why she is leaving him at home. Peta loves her life in Sydney. She has a great job, three deadly best friends – Alice, Dannie and Liza – and a doting boyfriend. The only trouble is, she’s not sure she’s ready to settle down yet. So when she’s offered a twelve-month contract in Melbourne, which might just win her the job of her dreams, she doesn’t have to think twice. She packs her bags and jumps on a plane. Peta takes a vow of celibacy, but with Melbourne filled with eligible bachelors, sticking to it proves harder than she imagined. As her mum always says, though, being faithful means you can still look at the menu, you just can’t order off it … Right?

A hilarious and heart-felt story of love, self-discovery and finding true happiness, from award-winning Wiradyuri author, Anita Heiss. Peta Tully thinks taking a man to Melbourne would be like taking a sandwich to a smorgasbord. That's why she is leaving him at home. Peta loves her life in Sydney. She has a great job, three deadly best friends – Alice, Dannie and Liza – and a doting boyfriend. The only trouble is, she’s not sure she’s ready to settle down yet. So when she’s offered a twelve-month contract in Melbourne, which might just win her the job of her dreams, she doesn’t have to think twice. She packs her bags and jumps on a plane. Peta takes a vow of celibacy, but with Melbourne filled with eligible bachelors, sticking to it proves harder than she imagined. As her mum always says, though, being faithful means you can still look at the menu, you just can’t order off it … Right?

From award-winning Wiradyuri author, Anita Heiss, comes a fun, light-hearted and empowering story featuring a deadly Koori heroine who is forced to choose between her dream job and the man of her dreams. Lauren is a curator at the National Aboriginal Gallery in Canberra. She's good at her job, passionate about the arts, and focused on her work – that is, when she's not focusing on Adam, halfback for the Canberra Cockatoos. But Adam is a player, both on and off the field. Lauren knows he's the one, but he doesn't seem to feel the same way about her. If she just waits long enough, though, surely he'll realise how much he needs her? Then her boss offers her the chance of a lifetime – a fellowship at the Smithsonian in New York. Lauren has to make some big decisions: the man or Manhattan?

Libby is determined to stay on her no-man fast: no more romance, no more cheating men, no more heartbreak. But in the city of love there is no escaping fate … A hilarious and heartfelt romantic comedy from bestselling Wiradyuri author, Anita Heiss. Libby has given up on romance. After all, she has her three best girlfriends and two cats to keep her company at night, and her high-powered job at the National Aboriginal Gallery in Canberra to occupy her day – isn't that enough? But when fate gives Libby the chance to work in Paris at the Musée du Quai Branly, she's thrown out of her comfort zone and into a city full of culture, fashion and love. Surrounded by thousands of gorgeous men, romance has suddenly become a lot more tempting.

Abbey came to Hawaii to get over her exnot fall in love again.Between a growing business, a painful breakup, and the endless demands of family life, Abbey desperately needs a break. So when her two lifelong best friends suggest swapping their annual girls trip for a Hawaiian escape, she says yes without hesitation.Their plan is simple: cocktails, sunsets, laughter, and training for a half marathon.No drama. No complications. Definitely no men.But paradise has other ideas.When Abbey meets the charismatic Kaleo, she finds herself feeling something she thought she'd left behind. As sparks fly beneath Hawaiian sunsets and her confidence begins to return, Abbey must decide whether this unexpected connection is simply a holiday romanceor the start of a whole new chapter.Because sooner or later, every vacation comes to an end.And when reality comes calling, Abbey will have to choose between the life she left behind and the future she never saw coming.A heartwarming story of friendship, fresh starts, and finding love when you least expect it from bestselling author Anita Heiss.

'No one writes Aussie rom-com like Anita Heiss.' Rachael Johns Matters of the heart have always made Annabelle run for the hills – literally. After a disastrous relationship effectively torched her personal and professional life in Sydney, Annabelle is back in Brisbane. She’s about to start her dream job launching and curating a First Nations gallery in the city, and this time, nothing is getting in the way of her important work. Certainly not romance, even if her new neighbour is really cute. Everything is going to plan until a birthday trip to the rodeo with her tiddas brings Annabelle up close and (very) personal with Dusty Davies, bona fide cowboy. Opposites may attract, but Annabelle’s not built for the rodeo life. Anyway, Dusty doesn’t take art and activism seriously like Annabelle does. It’s just a country fling ...Can a real-life cowboy convince Annabelle to compromise for love, or will he be just another man left in the dust?

"I am deadly, desirable and delicious"... is Alice''s mantra as she hilariously negotiates her way throught the rocky terrain of singledom. Alice Aigner is successful, independent and a confirmed serial dater - but at her ten-year school reunion she has a sudden change of heart. Bored rigid by her married, mortgaged and motherly former classmates, Alice decides to prove that a woman can have it all: a man, marriage, career, kids and a mind of her own. She sets herself a goal: meet the perfect man and marry him before her thirtieth birthday, just under two years away. Together with her best friends Dannie, Liza and Peta, Alice draws up a ten-point plan. Then, with a little help from her mum, her dad, her brothers, her colleagues and her neighbour across the hall, she sets out to find Mr Right. Unfortunately for Alice, it''s not quite as easy as she imagines . Who could not fall in love with our Koori heroine as she dates (among others): Renan, whose career goal is to be the world''s best moonwalker and male hula dancer; Tufu the commitment-phobic Samoan football player; scary Simon the one-night stand; and Paul - Mr Dreamboat, but perhaps too good to be true. All the while, Alice skilfully avoids dating Cliff, son of her mum''s friend, a confirmed bachelor who isn''t likely to settle down with a woman anytime soon.

Peta thinks that ''...taking a man to Melbourne would be like taking a sandwich to a smorgasbord'', that''s why she is leaving him at home. Peta Tully has found her Mr Right - the only trouble is, she''s not sure she''s ready to settle down. Not just yet, anyway - so when she''s offered a twelve-month contract interstate which just might win her the job of her dreams, she puts her Sydney life on hold, packs her bags and jumps on a plane, leaving her doting boyfriend behind. Peta takes a voluntary vow of celibacy, but sticking to it proves harder than she imagines.This is Anita Heiss''s second book about Peta, Alice, Liza and Dannie, four deadly, desirable and dynamic thirty-something chicks from Sydney''s eastern beaches.