Cirrus@Austlit

'If a national literature is composed of the varieties of ways that inhabitants construct and represent their experiences over time, then Australia does not yet possess a national literature. Rather "Australian literature" is a sub-set of English literature which does not acknowledge the literary and cultural traditions of a third of the population. The philosophy behind "Striking Chords" is to move debates beyond the current artificial opposition between multiculturalism and Australian culture so that the latter is enriched by the inclusion of the former. Migration is, after all, part of the tradition of all non-Aboriginal Australians. "Striking Chords" is aimed at teachers at all levels of the educational sector who are interested in but puzzled by this new field and these new writers as well as at members of the general public who would also like to know more about these changes in our culture. It is not merely concerned with multiculturalism, although this is its departure and remains its main focus. It also encompasses the supposed split between writers and critics; community versus the so-called mainstream of writing; minorities within minorities; and gender, where the different ways in which men and women position themselves in these debates is of substantial interest. "Sneja Gunew is an Associate Professor at Deakin University. Kateryna Longley is a Senior Lecturer at Murdoch University.".' (Publication summary)