Dear Son: Letters and Reflections from First Nations Fathers and Sons

Description

Dear Son shares heartfelt letters written by First Nations men about life, masculinity, love, culture and racism. Along with his own vivid and poignant prose and poetry, author and editor Thomas Mayor invites 12 contributors to write a letter to their son or father, bringing together a range of perspectives that offers the greatest celebration of First Nations manhood. This beautifully designed anthology comes at a time when First Nations peoples are starting to break free of derogatory stereotypes and find solace in their communities and cultures. Yet, each contributor also has one thing in common: they all have a relative who has been terribly wronged - enslaved, raped and dispossessed - because of their Aboriginality. Featuring letters from Stan Grant, Troy Cassar-Daley, John Liddle, Charlie King, Joe Williams, Yessie Mosby, Joel Bayliss, Daniel James, Jack Latimore, Daniel Morrison, Tim Sculthorpe and Blak Douglas. A gentle and loving book for families from anywhere in the world. Artwork by proud Kaurna/Ngarrindjeri/Narrunga/Italian Australian artist Tony Wilson, with illustrations and design by Gamilaraay designer Tristan Schultz of Relative Creative.

Thomas Mayor is a Torres Strait Islander man who lives on Larrakia Country in Darwin. A father of five children, he is a wharfie and union official for the Maritime Union of Australia. He has tirelessly advocated for the proposals in the Uluru Statement from the Heart, and is the author of two bestselling books. The first book, Finding the Heart of the Nation: The journey of the Uluru Statement towards Voice, Treaty and Truth, tells his story, the story of the Uluru Statement, and the stories of the remarkable people he met on his campaigning journey. A children's version, Finding Our Heart, was published in June 2020. At the same time as releasing this book, he has also released his latest children's book, Freedom Day: Vincent Lingiari and the Wave Hill Walk-Off, published by Bright Light.