Every year I present a list of books that have been sidelined or maybe underappreciated in the mad scrum of publication; this year I’ve decided to do things a bit differently. Every title is by a PoC author – a subset of literary contribution that’s been historically marginalised in Australia after all.
Safe Haven, Shankari Chandran (Ultimo Press)
As its title suggests, this is a novel about seeking refuge. It focuses on the lives of Sri Lankan Tamil asylum seekers escaping civil war only to find another kind of hell in a detention centre on the fictional island of Port Camden. Shankari Chandran’s book explores what it means to be a refugee under Australia’s punitive legislative practices. It’s a distressing read but a solid reminder of how far we have to go in dealing with the treatment of those needing shelter and the use of private offshore-detention facilities. Read ArtsHub‘s review.
