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y separately published work icon Songs of a War Boy single work   autobiography  
Issue Details: First known date: 2016... 2016 Songs of a War Boy
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AbstractHistoryArchive Description

'Deng Adut's family were farmers in South Sudan when a brutal civil war altered his life forever. At six years old, his mother was told she had to give him up to fight. At the age most Australian children are starting school , Deng was conscripted into the Sudan People's Liberation Army. He began a harsh, relentless military training that saw this young boy trained to use an AK-47 and sent into battle. He lost the right to be a child. He lost the right to learn.

'The things Deng saw over those years will stay with him forever. He suffered from cholera, malaria and numerous other debilitating illnesses but still he had to fight. A child soldier is expected to kill or be killed and Deng almost died a number of times. He survived being shot in the back. The desperation and loneliness was overwhelming. He thought he was all alone.

'But Deng was rescued from war by his brother John. Hidden in the back of a truck, he was smuggled out of Sudan and into Kenya. Here he lived in refugee camps until he was befriended by an Australian couple. With their help and the support of the UN, Deng Adut came to Australia as a refugee.

'Despite physical injuries and mental trauma he grabbed the chance to make a new life. He worked in a local service station and learnt English watching The Wiggles. He taught himself to read and started studying at TAFE. In 2005 he enrolled in a Bachelor of Law at Western Sydney University. He became the first person in his family to graduate from university.

'This is an inspiring story of a man who has overcome deadly adversity to become a lawyer and committed worker for the disenfranchised, helping refugees in Western Sydney. It is an important reminder of the power of compassion and the benefit to us all when we open our doors and our hearts to fleeing war, persecution and trauma.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

Publication Details of Only Known VersionEarliest 2 Known Versions of

    • c
      Australia,
      c
      :
      Hachette Australia ,
      2016 .
      image of person or book cover 6561724280076545850.jpg
      This image has been sourced from online.
      Extent: 320p.p.
      Note/s:
      • Published 25 October 2016.
      ISBN: 9780733636523
    • Sydney, New South Wales,: Hachette Australia , 2019 .
      image of person or book cover 8416852201165894060.jpg
      This image has been sourced from online.
      Extent: 192p.
      Note/s:
      • Published 23rd July 2019
      ISBN: 9780734419620
Form: audiobook
    • c
      Australia,
      c
      :
      Hachette Australia ,
      2016 .
      image of person or book cover 5679969672421649197.jpg
      Image courtesy of publisher's website.
      Extent: 7 hrs and 49 minsp.
      Note/s:
      • Published 25 October 2016
      ISBN: 9780733637865

Works about this Work

Tim Winton, Helen Garner, Paul Keating, Deng Adut : The Stories behind the Year's Best Biographies Tim Winton , Deng Adut , Bernadette Brennan , Joan Healy , Judith Brett , Troy Bramston , 2018 single work column
— Appears in: The Guardian Australia , 12 July 2018;

'Six authors nominated for the National Biography awards reveal what most surprised them about their subjects.' (Publication abstract)

Songs of a War Boy by Deng Adut Georgia Symons , 2016 single work review
— Appears in: ArtsHub , December 2016;

— Review of Songs of a War Boy Deng Adut , Ben McKelvey , 2016 single work autobiography

'This generous and deeply personal autobiography provides startling insight into the life of one African refugee.'

[Essay Review] Songs of a War Boy : My Story Dilan Gunawardana , 2016 single work review essay
— Appears in: Australian Book Review , December no. 387 2016; (p. 58)
'Songs are of great importance to the Dinka people of South Sudan. ‘They’re our avatars, and our biographies. They precede us, introduce us, and live on after we die,’ writes the refugee advocate, Archibald muse, and NSW Australian of the Year for 2017, Deng Thiak Adut. His memoir, Songs of a War Boy, serves as a profound if disturbing ballad to his tragedies and triumphs.' (Introduction)
Songs of a War Boy by Deng Adut Georgia Symons , 2016 single work review
— Appears in: ArtsHub , December 2016;

— Review of Songs of a War Boy Deng Adut , Ben McKelvey , 2016 single work autobiography

'This generous and deeply personal autobiography provides startling insight into the life of one African refugee.'

[Essay Review] Songs of a War Boy : My Story Dilan Gunawardana , 2016 single work review essay
— Appears in: Australian Book Review , December no. 387 2016; (p. 58)
'Songs are of great importance to the Dinka people of South Sudan. ‘They’re our avatars, and our biographies. They precede us, introduce us, and live on after we die,’ writes the refugee advocate, Archibald muse, and NSW Australian of the Year for 2017, Deng Thiak Adut. His memoir, Songs of a War Boy, serves as a profound if disturbing ballad to his tragedies and triumphs.' (Introduction)
Tim Winton, Helen Garner, Paul Keating, Deng Adut : The Stories behind the Year's Best Biographies Tim Winton , Deng Adut , Bernadette Brennan , Joan Healy , Judith Brett , Troy Bramston , 2018 single work column
— Appears in: The Guardian Australia , 12 July 2018;

'Six authors nominated for the National Biography awards reveal what most surprised them about their subjects.' (Publication abstract)

Last amended 21 Jun 2024 12:49:29
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    Sudan,
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    North Africa, Africa,
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    Kenya,
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    East Africa, Africa,
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    Australia,
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