Lightning Talk

Presentation Description:

Fifteen years ago, while there were Indigenous authors for young people in North America, by and large their work was not considered “mainstream.” There were books that featured Native American characters, but those books were often by non-Indigenous authors and contained stereotypes and inaccuracies. Today, thanks to the efforts of the organization We Need Diverse Books and the support of publishers like Heartdrum Press, not only are there more Indigenous authors for teens, but their books are also on best-seller lists, being read and loved by a wider population. A recent study shows that Australia is in a situation similar to North America’s around 2010: There are Indigenous authors for teens, but not many; many of their books are put out by niche publishing houses; and their books are not familiar to non-Indigenous populations either in Australia itself–nor in the United States. This talk will discuss these developments over the past 15 years, naming many authors and highlighting some positive trends–and especially noting how Australian Indigenous authors have risen to the forefront in terms of intersectionality.