Cirrus@Austlit

'It was time to recalibrate my life. After many years as a travelling musician, few income-earning gigs were on the horizon. My girlfriend at the time suggested university study to follow my interests in writing and film as every event company that hired me had something to do with both. I was nervous taking this path because I had no idea if I could do a degree, but at the same time I was excited at the future potential. I signed up for my Bachelor of Media Arts Degree with a major in Film and TV production, minor in Creative Writing, and electives including language and philosophy. The university board told me that the Italian 101 lecturer’s name was, Matteo Farina—a combination of my dad and sister’s names—I took it as a sign to choose that elective class. This decision led to connections that kick started my journey into speculative fiction. While dad was Italian, we never spoke it at home. Spending time away from home in Los Angeles, working for a non-profit helping homeless children and their parents living in shelters, got me thinking about how little I knew about my own heritage and that sparked a quest of embracing my family heritage on both sides, Aboriginal and Italian.'  (Introduction)