2024 marks 5 years since the first First Nations Bedtime Stories event run by Common Ground. This week- long event, running from 28 October to 1 November 2024, is a chance to hear beautiful stories from Noongar, Wiradjuri, Nyikina, Warlpiri and Luritja Nations for people of all ages and places. The stories are as old as time and designed to be shared at home, in classrooms and in workplaces.
Check out the First Nations Bedtime Stories website to register for this week of stories, which will be sent directly to your inbox over the 5 days to be viewed and shared.
If you’d like to check out other fantastic First Nations stories, the Library has some great eBooks you can read anytime and anywhere:
Flock, Edited by Ellen van Neerven, showcases both the power of First Nations writing and the satisfaction of a good short story. Flock roams the landscape of First Nations storytelling, bringing together voices from across the generations. Featuring established authors such as Tony Birch, Melissa Lucashenko and Tara June Winch, and rising stars such as Adam Thompson and Mykaela Saunders, Flock confirms the ongoing resonance and originality of First Nations stories. Read it now at the CSU library website.
Nukunu author Jared Thomas’s novel tells of how seventeen-year-old Phoebe’s life is upended when she moves from the city to the country to live with her dad after her parents’ split. In the sleepy town of Willunga, she grapples with her mother’s increasing alcoholism while trying to fit in at a new school filled with diverse personalities and a tight-knit basketball team. As her mother’s reliability fades and Phoebe’s grades slip, she struggles to support her mum without risking her family’s stability, all while keeping her worries hidden from friends and fearing her dad’s reaction. This powerful story explores family breakdowns, facing truths, and finding balance. Read it now at the CSU library website.
First Nations scholar Tyson Yunkaporta’s Right Story, Wrong Story describes how our relationship with land is inseparable from how we relate to each other. This book is a sequence of thought experiments, which are, as Yunkaporta writes, ‘crowd-sourced narratives where everybody’s contribution to the story, no matter how contradictory, is honoured and included…the closest thing I can find in the world to the Aboriginal collective process of what we call “yarning”.’ And, as he argues, story is at the heart of everything. But what is a right or wrong story? This book is an attempt to answer that question. Right Story, Wrong Story is a formidably original essay about how we teach and learn, and how we can talk to each other to shape forms of collective thinking that are aligned with land and creation. Read it now at the CSU library website.
As we celebrate First Nations Bedtime Stories Week, we encourage you to explore the wisdom and traditions found in First Nations stories and cultures. If you need more resources or assistance accessing our eBooks, please reach out to our library staff. You can also check our eBook library guide for tips on using our collections. We’re here to help you connect with these important stories and deepen your understanding of First Nations heritage. Happy reading!