01/09/2021
Pictured above are UQP authors Adam Thompson, Mykaela Saunders, Ellen van Neerven and Tony Birch at the Flock panel at Sydney Writers’ Festival.
Earlier this year the University of Queensland Press (UQP) won the ABIA Small Publisher of the Year award, and judges were particularly impressed with their program for First Nations voices and stories. As part of our series exploring the various initiatives behind their ABIA win, we asked UQP to go into more detail about their First Nations publishing program of which they are immensely proud. Some prominent writers' names are in their list.
Long term support of First Nations voices
'First Nations voices have been an essential part of UQP’s publishing program for decades,' says UQP Director Ben James. 'And we are incredibly proud of our tradition of discovering and nurturing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander writers, of which the prestigious David Unaipon Award has played a critical role.'
UQP established the David Unaipon Award in the late 1980s and is an extremely significant launching pad for unpublished Indigenous authors. The award established the careers of Doris Pilkington Garimara, Samuel Wagan Watson, Larissa Behrendt, Miles Franklin award-winner Tara June Winch and Ellen van Neerven, amongst many others.
'The support given to me after winning the Unaipon Award through UQP assisted in ensuring the development and publication of my first novel,' says Larissa Behrendt, whose third novel After Story, has just been published by UQP. 'They really encouraged me to keep writing.'
Ongoing commitment to Indigenous writing
UQP is committed to an extensive Indigenous writing list, a program that continues to champion First Nations writers and takes their stories to Australia and the world.
In 2021, 45% of UQP’s adult publishing program is First Nations, with established names like Larissa Behrendt and Tony Birch (who has two new books in 2021: a poetry collection Whisper Songs as well as a new short story collection Dark As Last Night) complementing debuts such as Evelyn Araluen's Dropbear, Adam Thompson's Born into This and the most recent David Unaipon Award winner Jazz Money, whose poetry collection how to make a basket is published in September.
Overseas successes
UQP’s Rights Manager Kate McCormack has secured overseas audio, print and film/TV contracts for a number of UQP’s Indigenous authors including Melissa Lucashenko, Tony Birch and Adam Thompson.
'There’s been an increase in rights sales to numerous territories, and in different formats, over the last couple of years. As well as a growing interest in what these authors have to say, the feedback is they are writing world-class literature, along with cracking and compelling stories.'
Intergenerational support
'It is wonderful to see the sharing of knowledge and generosity of support across generations of our First Nations writers," says Publishing Director Madonna Duffy. "This is critical to building a vibrant writing community that creates long-lasting careers. We can’t wait to see the impact that will be created by future emerging authors such as Amy McQuire, Mykaela Saunders and Amy Thunig.'
Learn more
You can find out more about UQP and their list of First Nations writers on their website, and an overview of other UQP initiatives in this article. UQP Publishing Director Madonna Duffy spoke about some of their Diversity and Inclusivity initiatives, including First Nations publishing, as part of the BookUp Conference..