(Aboriginal) Survivor Series

I’m going to confess something at the risk of public ridicule. When I was a kid, I used to enjoy watching WWE wrestling on TV. When I was 8 years old, my favourite used to be The Ultimate Warrior. Then when I was 13, my favourite became Bret “The Hitman” Hart (who I was veryContinue reading “(Aboriginal) Survivor Series”

Bennelong

The world’s most famous Aboriginal man Chapter 36 of The Last Gundir novel briefly mentions a character called Bennelong during the (fictional) conversation between the Governor and his private secretary. Despite having less prominence in the novel than Pemulwuy and Bungaree, Bennelong was arguably the most famous Aboriginal man in the world in the 18thContinue reading “Bennelong”

The First Europeans in Australia were…

Quiz time! Who were the first Europeans to arrive on Australia’s shores?Readers of The Last Gundir novel will know the answer to this question (explained in chapter 9) but for the others, the multiple choice answers are:A) FranceB) HollandC) EnglandD) PortugalE) Spain If you went for England with the arrival of James Cook, you’d beContinue reading “The First Europeans in Australia were…”

#2 Never lonely in Australia

Harry Potter was in Gryffindor. Draco Malfoy was in Slytherin. Cedric Diggory was in Hufflepuff. I was in Failaka (pictured above). My primary school, Kuwait English School comprised 4 houses named after various areas of Kuwait – Burgan (blue), Ahmadi (green), Jahra (yellow) and the one that regularly won everything, Failaka (red). Just as inContinue reading “#2 Never lonely in Australia”

Stay close to me…

Confession time – is there a song you’ve known for many years but never really paid attention to its lyrics? Perhaps the upbeat tempo or the joyful melody lulled you into holding assumptions about the song’s meaning. You click your fingers, tap your foot, dance to its beat and even sing the chorus without reallyContinue reading “Stay close to me…”

#1 – The beginnings of The Last Gundir novel

Hello to you reading my first blog. I am the author of The Last Gundir, a vessel that takes you on a journey of discovery into Australia’s past. This blog is the first of a 10 part series on my personal journey – fraught with heartbreak, joy, disappointment, frustration, gratitude, racial discrimination and happiness –Continue reading “#1 – The beginnings of The Last Gundir novel”