Cirrus@Austlit

'A 14-year-old boy dreaming of a distant world that exists within his own country jumps on a train and heads deep into the Australian outback.' 

'Armed with a pawn shop camera, a cast of small town players and a heart bigger than Phar Lap, a Northern Territory director has proven you don't need grants to shoot a feature film.'(Introduction) 

'From the red carpet to the red soil of Arnhem Land, one of Australia's most-treasured actors has begun his long journey home to the Northern Territory.' (Introduction)

'The epic story of legendary band Yothu Yindi and 'Treaty', the song that gave voice to a movement

'WITH INTRODUCTIONS BY YALMAY YUNUPINGU & WITIYANA MARIKA

'Words are easy, words are cheap / Much cheaper than our priceless land / But promises can disappear / Just like writing in the sand -- From Yothu Yindi's 1992 ARIA Song of the Year, 'Treaty'

'Sometimes a musical revolution can erupt from the most unlikely of places. Long before they were ARIA Hall of Fame inductees, Yothu Yindi were a bunch of Yolngu (Aboriginal people of East Arnhem Land) and balanda (non-Indigenous) mates rocking out in the remote Top End. Soon they were creating some of the coolest new music in the country, splicing traditional sounds with electric, and spreading a message of unity.

'Then, after singer Mandawuy Yunupiu penned the hit song 'Treaty' with Paul Kelly and Peter Garrett, and a remix dropped in 1991, Yothu Yindi shot out of Arnhem Land and into the hearts of music lovers across Australia and the world.

'Writing in the Sand, by Yothu Yindi's authorised biographer, Matt Garrick, is the epic story of one of Australia's most original bands and how 'Treaty' gave voice to Indigenous Australia's hard-fought struggle for recognition. Featuring photos from the band's archives never previously published, the book is based on extensive interviews with current and former band members, including mainstays Witiyana Marika, Stu Kellaway and Jodie Cockatoo, as well as family members such as Yalmay Yunupiu, Mandawuy's widow, and collaborators and fellow artists like Garrett, Kelly, Neil Finn, Joy McKean, Bart Willoughby and Andrew Farriss.

'Funny, poetic, heartfelt and steeped in the sights, smells and unique rhythms of East Arnhem Land, Writing in the Sand is a must-read for anyone who cares about Australian music, and Aboriginal culture and recognition, all of which were brilliantly woven together by one of the most exciting bands of our time.'

Source : publisher's blurb

'Battling lung cancer thousands of kilometres from his birth country, David Gulpilil is longing for his remote Northern Territory homeland.' (Publication summary)

'A lone guitar standing under spotlight on an otherwise darkened stage cut a stark contrast between the rest of the annual ARIA Awards' night of glitz and sparkle.'  (Introduction)