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Me Write Myself'

The Free Aboriginal Inhabitants of Van Diemen's Land at Wybalenna, 1832-47
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( 20 ratings, 9 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
Me Write Myself by Leonie Stevens offers a meticulous examination of the experiences and voices of Tasmania's Indigenous people, focusing on the extraordinary letters written by Aboriginal Tasmanians in the 19th century. Through these personal narratives, the book reveals the resilience and resistance of the Aboriginal community amid European colonisation and oppression. It provides a poignant and insightful exploration of their history, identity, and cultural survival.
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Format: Paperback / softback
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

This book may appeal to you if you have an interest in Australian colonial history and the voices of indigenous peoples during that period. The author provides a distinct perspective by focusing on Aboriginal experiences and self-representation, offering a detailed and thought-provoking exploration of history through the eyes of those often marginalized in traditional narratives.

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*Longlisted for The Dick and JoanGreen Family Award for Tasmanian History*

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

Exiles, lost souls, remnants of a dying race. The fate of the First Nations peoples of Van Diemen's Land is one of the most infamous chapters in Australian and world history.

The men, women, and children exiled to Flinders Island in the 1830s and 40s have often been written about, but never allowed to speak for themselves. Me Write Myself aims to change that.

Penned by the exiles during their fifteen years at the settlement called Wybalenna, items in the Flinders Island Chronicle, sermons, letters, and petitions offer a compelling corrective to traditional portrayals of a hopeless, dispossessed, illiterate people's final days.

The exiles did not see themselves as prisoners, but as a Free People. Seen through their own writing, the community at Wybalenna was vibrant, complex, and evolving. Rather than a depressed people simply waiting for death, their own words reveal a politically astute community engaged in a fifteen-year campaign for their own freedom: one which was ultimately successful.

This is a compelling story that will profoundly affect understandings of Tasmanian and Australian history.

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  • Me Write Myself'
    Exiles, lost souls, remnants of a dying race. The fate of the First Nations peoples of Van Diemen's Land is one of the most infamous chapters in Australian and world history. The men, women, and children exiled to Flinders Island in the 1830s and 40s have often been written about, but never allowed to speak for themselves. Me Write Myself...
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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781925495638

Publisher: Monash University Publishing

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 01 September 2017

Country: Australia

Imprint: Monash University Publishing

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Width: 153.0mm

Height: 234.0mm

Weight: 250g

Pages: 400

About the Author

Dr Leonie Stevens researches and lectures in History. Previous to working with true stories, she had an extensive background as a fiction writer and editor. She is the author of six novels, a variety of short fiction, and is addicted to B-grade disaster films.

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