Her books include grog war, a study of alcohol abuse in tennant creek, and the novels plains of promise, the swan book and carpentaria, which won the miles franklin literary award, the victorian and queensland premiers literary awards, and the als gold. I first read the fiction of alexis wright when i was writing a thesis on transgenerational trauma for my doctorate. In this video, wright talks about her writing room and the meaning of some of the items. Carpentaria by alexis wright musings of a literary. Her books include grog war, a study of alcohol abuse in the outback town of tennant creek, and the novel plains of promise, which was shortlisted for the commonwealth prize, the age book of the year and the nsw premiers. The big book about small town australia that travelled the. Indigenous transnationalism brings together eight essays by critics from seven different countries, each analysing alexis wrights novel carpentaria from a distinct national perspective. The author of the prizewinning novels carpentaria and the swan book, wright has published three works of nonfiction. Alexis wright born 25 november 1950 is an aboriginal australian writer best known for winning the miles franklin award for her 2006 novel carpentaria and the 2018 stella prize for her collective memoir of leigh bruce tracker tilmouth. After aboriginal author alexis wrights novel carpentaria won the miles.
The contributors are russell westpavlov, nicholas birns, lars jensen, anne heith, estelle castrokoshy, sei kosugi, peter minter and lynda ng, who also edited the collection. She is from the waanji people from the highlands of the southern gulf of carpentaria. The novel follows the interactions of and tensions between various local residents and groups, including indigenous residents, white officials, and a mining company. Indigenous temporality and climate change in alexis wright. First though, you do need a bit of an idea of what its about. Her acclaimed first novel plains of promise was published in 1997 by university of queensland press and was shortlisted in the commonwealth writers prize, the age book of the year, and the nsw premiers awards.
Title on writing carpentaria language eng date 2010 author wright, alexis western sydney university. Alexis wright employs mysticism, stark reality, and pointed imagination to recreate the land and the aboriginal people of carpentaria. Alexis wrights carpentaria is a long and sprawling carnivalesque novel that offers a. When carpentaria, alexis wrights epic novel about aboriginal life. Alexis wright is an indigenous writer, and the first aboriginal author to win outright australias prestigious miles franklin award for literature. Wright s reflections on her own creative process show that in working on carpentaria, she was keenly aware of the need to invent a way of writing that. It seems necessary to establish this, because it can be difficult to work out what else it might be. Through an appraisal of previous critical work on the novel, an analysis of its antilinear structure and stylistic organization, and close textual engagement with the novels latent critique of western temporal frameworks, it argues that carpentaria presents a specifically. Alexis wrights 2006 novel, carpentaria is difficult. Justine gained a phd in english literature from the university of edinburgh in 2016 with a thesis on contemporary australian aboriginal and aotearoanew zealand maori womens writing. I was enjoying carpentaria so much i extended indigenous literature week to ten days. Alexis wright talks about writing carpentaria where her inspiration and ideas came from, and the process of writing the novel. Alexis wright has set her awardwinning second novel in the area around the gulf of carpentaria in northwest queensland. Wrights reflections on her own creative process show that in working on carpentaria, she was keenly aware of the need to invent a way of writing that.
It met with widespread critical acclaim when it was published in mid2006, and went on to win australias premier literary prize, the miles franklin award, in mid2007. Alexis wright named professor of australian literature at. Alexis wright s carpentaria is set in the gulf of carpentaria region in a fictional town called desperance. Carpentaria is alexis wrights second novel, an epic set in the gulf country of northwestern queensland. This 2007 miles franklin awardwinning novel is the latest masterpiece from wright, an indigenous australian author and land rights activist. Carpentaria is her second novel, an epic set in the gulf country of northwestern queensland, from where her people come. This article considers alexis wrights 2006 novel carpentaria in relation to climate change and temporality. Alexis wright, a member of the waanyi nation of the southern highlands of the gulf of carpentaria, is one of australias most acclaimed and fearless writers. There is an afterword by jeanine leane, and the collection concludes with alexis wrights essay on writing carpentaria, first published in heat magazine. Alexis wright is one of australias finest aboriginal writers.
Her first novel plains of promise was shortlisted for the commonwealth prize. The novels portrait of life in the precariously settled coastal town of desperance centres on the powerful phantom family, leader of the westend pricklebush people, and its battles. Her previous novel, carpentaria, won the miles franklin award, australias most prestigious literary prize. Take power, an oral history of the central land council. Alexis wright is from the waanji people from the highlands of the southern gulf of carpentaria. When carpentaria, alexis wrights epic novel about aboriginal life, appeared last year, readers in australia were slow to warm to its magisterial yet. Essay about alexis wrights carpentaria and australian. Alexis wright is the only author to have won both the miles franklin literary award and the stella prize, two of the most prestigious literary prizes in australia. As a textual locus of indigenous cultural regeneration, carpentaria questions the invasive.
In which i struggle to explain how amazing alexis wrights award winning novel carpentaria is. Alexis wrights carpentaria is set in the gulf of carpentaria region in a. The gulf country is also the homeland of the waanyi people, from whom alexis wright is descended on her mothers side, and what carpentaria is most obviously and essentially is a hymn to her people and to her home. The suggested questions are intended to help your reading group find new and interesting angles and topics for your discussion. Alexis wright, miles franklinwinning indigenous author of carpentaria, will be the second professor of australian literature at the university of melbourne. The second fictional work from alexis wright, it deals with sweeping issues such as the clash of cultures in australia, the different goals and focuses of whites vs. But i really wanted to get this filmed while the book was still fresh in my mind. Alexis wright born 25 november 1950 is an aboriginal australian writer best known for. Kim scott, whose benang shared the 2000 award with thea astleys drylands is also an indigenous writer. A more ambitious novel with a vast canvas, it gives us contemporary indigenous politics in a way that has not been seen since mudrooroos master of the ghost dreaming.
This is to say that it takes a bit of a brain readjustment to enter the world of carpentaria. She is the author of the novel carpentaria, which won five national literary awards in 2007, including the asal gold medal and the miles franklin award. Alexis wrights carpentaria is already considered an australian masterwork, one of those books which remake a world, in this case the world of tropic australia, aboriginal and european, anew. The title of alexis wrights first novel, plains of promise, has certainly borne fruit in her second, carpentaria. A novel by alexis wright and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. Australian indigenous writers and the political countereffect the indigenous word has had in. Alexis wrights carpentaria is set in the gulf of carpentaria region in a fictional town called desperance. Alexis wright after a whirlwind of success with her novel carpentaria, the author returns with a dark fairytale about climate change, refugees and surprising beauty. Alexis wright is one of australias finest writers and a member of the waanyi nation of the southern highlands of the gulf of carpentaria. The big book about small town australia that travelled the world this is all part of how literature helps to create better knowledge about our world, alexis wright at. Representations of time in alexis wrights carpentaria.
The novels portrait of life in the precariously settled coastal town of desperance centres on the powerful phantom family, leader of the westend pricklebush people, and its battles with old joseph midnights renegade eastend mob on the one hand, and the white officials of. Alexis wright is a member of the waanyi nation of the gulf of carpentaria. She is the author of the novels the swan book winner of the asal gold medal, and carpentaria, which won five national literary awards in 2007, including the asal gold medal and the miles franklin award. Im a fan of big, sprawling, unruly books, even more so if they have elements of magic realism midnights children, illywhacker anyone. Wright was on the program for four events at the 2017 brisbane writers festival in brisbane, queensland.
Introduction alexis wrights writing both responds to and furthers. Carpentaria by alexis wright 9781920882310 booktopia. Alexis wrights carpentaria won the miles franklin award in 2007 and i read it back around then but its a book that keeps coming back to me so i thought it was time i shared why. Grog war, a study of alcohol abuse in the northern territory. Essay about alexis wrights carpentaria and australian aboriginal. In the sparsely populated northern queensland town of desperance, loyalties run deep and battle lines have been drawn between the powerful phantom family, leaders of the westend pricklebush people, and joseph midnights renegade eastend.
Carpentaria alexis wright national library of australia. This reading group guide for carpentaria by alexis wright includes an introduction, discussion questions, and ideas for enhancing your book club. Though might lead one to assume that carpentaria and the swan book must be distinctly indigenous australian in theme and style, wright is. Carpentaria is her second novel, a soaring epic set in the gulf country of northwestern queensland, from where her people come. The novels portrait of life in the precariously settled coastal town of desperance centres on the powerful phantom family, leader of the westend pricklebush people, and its. Wright is from waanji country in the highlands of the gulf, and though she has close personal ties with the region and community she portrays, she firmly identifies carpentaria as fiction. In this interview, alexis reflects on her awardwinning works, carpentaria 2006 and tracker 2017. The author of the prizewinning novels carpentaria and the swan book, wright has published two works of nonfiction, take power, an oral history of the central land council, and grog war, a study of alcohol abuse in the northern territory in. Wright describes what drove her to write her novel carpentaria, stating that for a long time while i was exploring how to write carpentaria, i tried to come to some understanding of two principal questions. All the same, alexis wrights carpentaria is not just a collection of stories. Alexis wright, descended from the waanyi people, says she imagined it as the voice of an old. Alexis wright is a member of the waanyi nation of the southern highlands of the gulf of carpentaria.