Two authors are helping expand children’s literature and share First Nations stories through their award-winning book.
Boonwurrung, Wemba Wemba and Wergaia woman Aunty Fay Stewart-Muir and Geelong’s Sue Lawson received the Children’s Book Council of Australia Book of the Year Eve Pownall Award on August 18 for their book Always Was, Always Will Be.
Aunty Fay said she felt honoured to share stories of her ancestors and that conversations and friendship inspired the book.
“It was exciting (to receive the award) and something we didn’t expect… and to have our family there with us as well was super exciting,” she said.
“With my cultural knowledge, I saw the book as something that needed to be done for all children to have Victorian First Nations stories published.
“To have my Elders and past ancestors’ stories being told for kids of today, just for them to go on a journey and find out more about each of the stories that we have in our book, is so important.”
Ms Lawson said it was important “for people to understand what First Nations people have had to overcome” throughout history.
“When you read this book, it’s all about the protests they made and the stands they took to get better treatment just to be treated as people,” she said.
“One of the things Aunty Fay often says is that knowledge is power and when we have the knowledge we do better and that’s what we’re hoping kids will get from our book.”
Always Was, Always Will Be is a children’s book that takes a closer look at protest movements by First Peoples during the last 200 years.
