Community Publishing

Potential publishing projects go through a proposal process which must meet our vision and strategy. Each is different. They can involve working with translators, linguists, authors, illustrators, editors and artists. We listen to the needs and wants of each Community and collaborate throughout the entire process to ensure Community leadership and authenticity. Community members decide which language to write their books in. To date, we have published 109 books reflecting 31 Indigenous languages. Once a book is published, if requested, we assist with an official launch and copies of the books are gifted to the Community and often included in the Book Supply program.

There is a real buzz and palpable sense of achievement when children and Community members publish a book through our Community Publishing Projects program. Books can be published for Community use only, or made available for sale via bookshops and the ILF online shop.

What a privilege it is for me to share with you some titles from ILF’s Community Publishing program this Reconciliation Week. As you can see via the above from ILF’s website, this program is a 100% community effort that not only promotes literacy but is an opportunity for children, as well as adult community members, to share their journeys and stories with a wider audience. Both of today’s titles are from young people at two schools, one quite remote and so far removed from what our mainstream kiddos, or even our own urban First Nations jarjums would know, as to be fascinating in themselves. To see these students writing from the heart was a truly moving experience for me and I loved both of these books.

Sweet Home: Stories of Country and family

$17.99

28 students from Dawurr Boarding have written emotive and touching stories about their homes and what these mean to them. Ḏawurr Boarding is attached to Nhulunbuy High School and caters for around 40 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students, who are drawn from widely farflung locations across the Territory, as you can see from the map.

From my own experience of working in a boarding school, with boys from all over Queensland and beyond, even to Papua New Guinea, and not only my contact with the boys, but with their families, I know just how hard it can be for students and their families to be apart. For many of these kiddos, just being among a load of other people is a completely strange experience.

These stories filled with anecdotes, memories and simply joys of fishing, footy, family along with hunting, bullockies and barramundi from creeks crowded with crocs and azure ocean water where the turtles swim lazily, are a revelation in themselves.

These are students who are not simply writing in a second language of English, but often in a 3rd, 4th or 5th language – just a taste of how different and difficult it can be for these youngsters to come together.

The introduction outlines the English literacy program in which these students participate, and its resulting success. It’s also a real pleasure to note the excellent illustrations throughout of Daydae Yunupingu, also a Dawurr student.

This would be a terrific shared serial read for your own kiddos aged from year 4/5 upwards, as you could share a story every now and then, if not every day. That, of course, could also springboard into your own students writing their own home and heart stories. This is a definite 5 ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ rating. Congratulations to the students and their mentors for this excellent title.

Clontarf and Stars Foundations honour Ḏawurr students at awards night

ngayawanj bagan-nggul, ngayawanj barra barra-nggul: We belong to the land, We belong to the sea

$24.99

Vincentia High School on NSW’s South Coast is a leading example of true support and allyship for the local and wider First Nations community. The commitment to not only authentic, culturally appropriate and respectful learning as well as the determination to revive the Dharug language is an extraordinary and inspirational story.

Read more about their success story here from the NSW Excellence in Aboriginal Education awards. If you’ve ever been to Vincentia, or indeed the south coast, you will completely understand the lure of the beautiful coastline and ocean in that part of the country.

Students from Years 7-10 participated in two workshops with Kirli Saunders and Jaz Corr [I am really looking forward to the online session with Kirli this evening 28/5!!] creating poetry and painting, which have been combined in this thoroughly pleasing anthology.

Their poetry, written in combinations of English and Dharug, is remarkable and the entire volume is a very worthy addition to any anthology shelf. And, again, what a way to inspire your own students to creativity! Another 5 🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊 rating for this one.

Both titles available via the ILF online shop.