Aboriginal agriculture book a winner

A Magabala Books’ author has claimed Book of the Year in NSW for an insight into indigenous food and farming.

Early last week Bruce Pascoe claimed the prestigious honour at the NSW Premier’s 2016 Literary Awards with his Aboriginal agriculture book, Dark Emu. He also shared the Indigenous Writer’s Prize with author Ellen Van Neerven.

The tome published in 2014 uses research from early settlers’ diaries to challenge the “hunter-gatherer” perception of pre-colonial indigenous Australians and was short listed for the 2014 Victorian and Queensland Premier’s Literary Prizes.

Magabala Books’ publisher Rachel Bin Salleh said everyone was delighted to see Pascoe take the coveted prize at the awards night held in the State Library of NSW.

“Magabala Books is absolutely thrilled that Bruce Pascoe has won both the Book of the Year and the inaugural Indigenous Writers Prize with Ellen. We couldn’t be more excited and are so happy for both of them,” she said.

“Dark Emu continues to attract great praise and interest in Australia and overseas, and we are extremely proud to have published this breakthrough book.”