'Engaging, thought-provoking stories from a young Tasmanian Aboriginal author who addresses universal themes – identity, racism, heritage destruction – from a wholly original perspective.
'The stories in Born Into This throw light on a world of unique cultural practice and perspective, from Indigenous rangers trying to instil some pride in wayward urban teens on the harsh islands off the coast of Tasmania to those scraping by on the margins of white society railroaded into complex and compromised decisions. To this mix Adam Thompson manages to bring humour, pathos and occasionally a sly twist as his characters confront racism, untimely funerals, classroom politics and, overhanging all like a discomforting, burgeoning awareness for both white and black Australia, the inexorable damage and disappearance of the remnant natural world.' (Publication summary)
Dedication :
'In memory of my beautiful and loving mother, Deirdre Jean Anderson
'Dee'
'(1957-2008)'
A brief review of this work appeared in The New York Times 8 August 2021.
'Born into this by Adam Thompson is a collection of short stories about Aboriginal identity in Tasmania, and contains thoughtful reflections on belonging, pride, shame, social fatigue and more.'
'In the public imagining, many equate Tasmania (Lutruwita) with Truganini – the ‘last Tasmanian Aboriginal’. This narrative of the last Tasmanian is a deliberate one, engineered by the colonial project, to lay claim to the truth. The undeniable and true history of genocide in Lutruwita is not to be conflated with the total extinction of its first peoples. To do so erases First Nations existence and survival in Lutruwita – literally.' (Introduction)
'Adam Thompson’s vivid stories encompass resistance, revenge, and hard truths.'
'When as a boy I listened to football on the radio, I would often hear mention of David Harris, a skilful midfielder who played for Geelong and Geelong West respectively in what were then the VFL and VFA. Harris was mostly known as ‘Darky’, not ‘David’. Recently, thanks to a YouTube interview, I learnt that Harris’s parents were Lebanese Australians. While in the interview Harris did not express offence, one can only wonder about the effect on him of this nickname – one he’d had since his own boyhood – based on the colour of his skin.' (Introduction)
'Adam Thompson’s vivid stories encompass resistance, revenge, and hard truths.'
'In the public imagining, many equate Tasmania (Lutruwita) with Truganini – the ‘last Tasmanian Aboriginal’. This narrative of the last Tasmanian is a deliberate one, engineered by the colonial project, to lay claim to the truth. The undeniable and true history of genocide in Lutruwita is not to be conflated with the total extinction of its first peoples. To do so erases First Nations existence and survival in Lutruwita – literally.' (Introduction)
