I am becoming increasingly convinced that Australia as a whole – yes, even including the ‘woke’ arts world – forgets that the entire nation is an often unwelcome and uninvited guest on Indigenous land.
When you add that to my utter conviction that everybody has not only a right but also an obligation to speak up against genocide, every genocide everywhere and everywhen, it makes my opinion on recent shitshows in the arts not only easy to understand but also easy to predict.
Solidarity with Jazz Money, Evelyn Araluen – quick links
A recognisable pattern
We are living in an Australia many of us might not recognise but perhaps should. The rot is not new but it has sure been growing too fast to be contained. First the commissioned artist for the Australia Pavilion at the 2026 Venice Biennale, Khaled Sabsabi, was cancelled then reinstated once Creative Australia reexamined their ridiculous decision and the damage they had done to their reputation.
Then the Bendigo Writers Festival shot itself in the foot by misunderstanding the average author’s dedication to freedom of expression, leading to a boycott by 80-something artists. The Adelaide Writers’ Week, not learning at all from the lessons right in front of them, borrowed foot-bullets from Bendigo and committed suicide by cancelling Dr Randa Abdel-Fattah and then the festival.
The State Library of Queensland also cancelled the black&write! Fellowship, a prize I have won, because one of the authors, Ren Wyld, dared to speak up against genocide.
Recently we have seen the unexpected rise of John Farnham as a folk hero at the protests against Queensland’s new hate-speech laws, which seem aimed only at people who object to the genocide being committed by Israel; not by the Jewish people, I add, but specifically by the state of Israel in Palestine.
The latest target
Just yesterday I received word that a children’s book, Bila, a river cycle, written by multiple award-winning Wiradjuri poet, writer, artist and all-round awesome person Jazz Money, has been cancelled from publication and the entire first run pulped – not because of anything she did but because the illustrator of the work wrote an opinion piece objecting to the genocide in Palestine.
This frankly disturbing decision was by the University of Queensland Press, a publisher that’s had, until the last couple of years, a good reputation for publishing important works by Indigenous authors.
None of my books have been published by UQP but if they were I would like to think I would make the same difficult decision as Aboriginal poet, writer and awesome person Evelyn Araluen, who stated she will no longer publish with them.
Sadly, she is not the only Indigenous author in recent times who has withdrawn books from their consideration but she’s the highest profile author to do so publicly and loudly. I haven’t had a chance to speak to Evelyn yet but when I do see her next, I will tell her in person what I will type right here: ‘Well done, you wonderful strong woman, that was awesome.’
While writing this, I received word that debut author Natalia Figueroa Barroso, whose debut novel Hailstones Fell Without Rain was slated for publication with UQP, has made a statement withdrawing her book and I am sure there will be others after her.
I cannot even begin to explain the bravery of such an act. Every author who withdraws their book is taking the risk their work will never see publication. I would like to think I was that brave, we all like to think we are that brave, but who of us ever really is? I hope a publisher with conviction and courage gets in contact with Natalia soon.
Stand with us from the beginning
I need to note it is often Indigenous people who catch the brunt of abusive hate-speech laws and cancellation campaigns from the right wing. It is Indigenous people who stand up first and who are uncompromising in standing against genocide in solidarity with others.
We are targets when we wake up in the morning, targets while we work, and targets while we sleep. Regardless of the fact we know we will take a hit for whatever we do and whatever we say, even knowing our lives and successes are tenuous, we stand for what is right. If I had one wish it would be for people to fight for us when colonisers try to take us down, not after we have been taken down. Stand with us from the beginning, don’t wait until the fight takes casualties.
No author should have their work cancelled because of their opinion or because of the right wing press’ perceptions of their opinion. We have the right to speak and the obligation to stand against genocide. Certainly no writer should have their work pulped because of their opinion or that of their associates. It doesn’t matter to which extent you agree or disagree with what they are saying. What matters is that they have the right to say it.
Solidarity with Jazz Money and Evelyn Araluen, always.
