Winhangarra (Hear, listen, think) with Anita Heiss
Counting Down
More about Bila Yarrudhanggalangdhuray (River of Dreams)
The powerful Murrumbidgee River surges through town leaving death and destruction in its wake. It is a stark reminder that while the river can give life, it can just as easily take it away.
Wagadhaany is one of the lucky ones. She survives. But is her life now better than the fate she escaped? Forced to move away from her miyagan, she walks through each day with no trace of dance in her step, her broken heart forever calling her back home to Gundagai.
When she meets Wiradyuri stockman Yindyamarra, Wagadhaany’s heart slowly begins to heal. But still, she dreams of a better life, away from the degradation of being owned. She longs to set out along the river of her ancestors, in search of lost family and country. Can she find the courage to defy the White man’s law? And if she does, will it bring hope ... or heartache?
The title on the front cover of the book is in the Wiradjuri language. The cover of the book, which was created in collaboration with the author, features original artwork by Wiradjuri artist Luke Penrith.
Want to reserve a copy of the book?
You will need to be a library member to be able to reserve your copy of Bila Yarrudhanggalangdhuray. Not a member? Not a problem, you can join online.
More about the author
Dr Anita Heiss is a proud member of the Wiradjuri nation of central New South Wales. She is an award-winning author of non-fiction, historical fiction, commercial women’s fiction, children’s novels and blogs. Anita is an Ambassador for the Indigenous Literacy Foundation. She is a Professor of Communications at the University of Queensland. As an artist in residence at La Boite Theatre in 2020, Anita began adapting her novel Tiddas for the stage. She enjoys eating chocolate, running and being a 'creative disruptor'.
Anita Heiss has said that “Using Wiradjuri language on the cover of my novel makes a strong statement – from me as an author and from Simon & Schuster as a publisher – regarding the reclamation and maintenance of the traditional language of my family.”
Anita is a regular visitor to Logan City Council Libraries for author talks. She has recorded a short vodcast on the Wiradjuri language . This vodcast was part of Logan City Council Libraries’ Our words our stories project, created for the 2019 United Nations International Year of Indigenous Languages.
