Welcome to Litsy!

First Aussie book for this month and it was excellent. A brown girl born here to Jamaican British parents , at a very “ white” time here and the impact that had . A very resilient , articulate young woman. Made me think about some of my attitudes and thoughts.
#joysbooks2021
@MrsMalaprop

I listened to this, the author did a great job of all the different accents. This book made me sad as I feel as a nation we have a long way to go regarding racism.

"You may shoot me with your words, You may cut me with your eyes, You may kill me with your hatefulness, But still, like air, I'll rise." - Maya Angelou⁣
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#blacklivesmatter #blackauthorsmatter

I listened to this as an audio book while running errands today. It is an important book documenting the inherent racism of Australia through Clarke‘s childhood. The story is absolutely relatable and powerful because of it. I would like to think things have changed but I fear they have not. We have so much more work to do in this area as a society and as individuals #stellaproject

#currentlyreading Just started this gem. I‘m only 15 pages in and want to recommend it to everyone!! #australianauthor

I was so excited to get this in the mail today. This hasn‘t published in the US yet so even getting it on Amazon is a little pricey but I had a gift certificate so I went for it.

Been meaning to read this for ages, finally it's time

A highly engaging read. Shows how far we have to go as a country in dealing with both casual & institutionalised racism. Growing up as part of a minority in Western Sydney, I could definitely relate but her experience of racism was on a whole other level. Can't wait to hear her talk at #sydneywritersfestival #australia #aussielit #sydney #westernsydney #racism #booksandsocks

I loved this part. Reminded me of the golliwog biscuits my best friend would bring to school (which then became scallywags, which now might be teddy bears?) #racism #thehaterace #sydney #westernsydney #aussielit #australia

The #Stellas are happening! I'm following along on twitter. My money is on Maxine Beneba Clarke.

I will be doing this but a bit late bc of holidays. First read of April will be The Hate Race. #aprilbookshowers

After looking at this one longingly for months I finally bought it. Which turned out to be timely - here in Australia today was both Harmony Day (a celebration of culture) AND the day our racist right wing government decided to water down #18C of the racial discrimination act, substituting the word 'harass' instead of 'insult, offend or humiliate'. (At least the 'gay panic' law was finally thrown out as a defence in my home state. About time)

Amazing. A must read.

The Stella Prize Shortlist was announced on International Women's Day & I can't wait to read them alllll (might even read the Longlist..we shall see.) Anywho, they have lots of interesting things in their website & this is one of them! It's a short little comic by an Australian artist..thought it was worth sharing. #StellaPrize

http://thestellaprize.com.au/2017/03/im-not-like-you-rachel-ang/

Everyone will be talking about the Bailey Prize but the Aussie version of a womens writing prize the Stella Prize shortlist is out and it looks amazing - I have only read one but looking forward to reading the list. Check out some Amazing Australian writing #stellaprize

Maxine Beneba Clarke's childhood in suburban Australia in the 80s and 90s was so like my own - we're around the same age so I could relate to a lot. Except for the racism she experienced at the hands of other students, her teachers and the community at large. Seeing my childhood as experienced by a POC is something that needs to happen to all of us who have never been the targets of racism. Even more important? That stories like Clarke's are told.

Important. Believable. Annoying. Important, because stories of overt racism in contemporary Australia should be written and read. Believable, because sadly there are and always will be ignorant, unkind, small minded people. The overt racism described is unacceptable, but I wonder whether some of the more subtle faux pas might spring from people just trying to understand. Annoying, because there was something about the tone that irritated me 🤔.

With two 14 year olds in my house right now, it's helpful to be reminded of this truth.

"I wanted to show the extreme toll that casual, overt and institutionalised racism can take: the way it erodes us all."

Finally reading this - a memoir about growing up brown in 80s/90s Australia. A lot of terrible stuff in here, but the writing is so good that I read almost the first half in one sitting

A first for me: only one book gift received. This is because my too-read pile is already toppling over. So many hours of summer reading to look forward to. Bliss 😊.

I really wanted to like this book. I haven't enjoyed the author's fiction but so often in similar cases I am able to enjoy their non fiction. Not so here. This was not an insightful book. It was essentially a whinge fest. I completely agree with the author that Australia is a racist country but at least offer some hope to the reader or a way forward or I don't know, ANYTHING! There are better books dealing with this topic out there. Don't bother.

Maxine Beneba Clarke is close to my age, and I experienced a fair bit of nostalgia at some of her school day experiences. But the casual and institutionalised racism that she experienced was outrageous. I'd love to think that Australia has come a long way, but when we have far-right fear-mongerers being elected, it's a little hard to believe. This should be required reading for all Aussie high school kids.

This is a wonderful must read book on the experience of being a person of colour in Australia. It's about her experience through school and it broke my heart but also I could relate so much in my own way to her experience. Read it, read it, read it!

Excited this library hold just arrived. To the top of the list it goes #aussieauthor #poc

This happened in Bentleigh, down the road from me in the last couple of years! Absolutely disgusting. This is only the second page. I think it is going to be an infuriating and important read. When my family came to this country we were told the same thing. Sent back because our language skills would be tested in Dutch instead of English. That was 100-50 years ago. We don't experience this anymore but others still do!There is a problem!

My third child was born recently so it's been a long time since I've been able to inhale a book in a day but I loved this. Stories that start off simply build the overall picture of the unrelenting, daily, insidious racism Beneba Clarke faces as the second child of the only family of Afro-Carribean descent in town. The need for her to be cooperative, compliant, grateful as teachers refer to the " 'casual' teasing" she experiences Cont. in comments

Most anticipated reads: 2 memoirs, a Ferrante, and a fantasy my friends insist non-fantasy readers like:Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell (has anyone read it?). Most anticipated eats: Belgian chocolate 😀😍#Booktober #mostantcipatedreads #Ferrantefever #Ferranteforever #Chocoholic

This is a really powerful and important memoir. Clarke details countless moments of casual racism she experienced as a child in Australia in the 1980s and 1990s. The parallels between our childhoods made me ever more aware of my own privilege. Although this is a very situated critique of Australian society, we all have something to learn from this.

I believe we could be so much kinder to each other...

Always leaving book club until the last minute

incredibly written. a new australian classic.