What does it take to disrupt Australia’s history and stand by your views when they are attacked? The answer is: a lot. After the controversy surrounding his bestselling book Dark Emu, First Nations writer Bruce Pascoe was bruised but unbowed. Black Duck, a Year at Yumburra is his personal account of his healing on his farm (where he somehow also found time to write a novel, Imperial Harvest). In a candid conversation, he tells Margaret Throsby what it took to rebuild a life, a marriage, and how custodianship of land renewed his sense of purpose.

About Bruce Pascoe

Yuin, Bunurong and Tasmanian man. Board member of First Languages Australia. Past Secretary Bidwell-Maap Aboriginal Nation. Board member Twofold Aboriginal Corporation. 

Other books: Bloke, published by Penguin in 2009, Chainsaw File, Oxford, 2010, Fog; a dox, Magabala, 2012. ( 2013 PM’s Award, and shortlisted for the WA Premier’s Award and the Deadlies Award). Dark Emu the history of Aboriginal agriculture was published in 2014 and was shortlisted in the Victorian and Queensland Literature awards and won the NSW Premier’s book of the Year, 2016. Sea Horse, young adult novel, Magabala 2015, Mrs Whitlam, YA, 2016.

Black Duck: A Year at Yumburra and Imperial Harvest both published 2024

Australia Council Award for Lifetime achievement in Literature 2018, Australian Humanist Award 2021.

Lives in Mallacoota, Far East Gippsland. Two children, four grandchildren.

Buy Black Duck: A Year at Yumburra: https://thamesandhudson.com.au/product/black-duck-a-year-at-yumburra/

ⓘ True Story Festival info + tickets

True Story Festival 2025 is on November 15-16 at Coledale Community Hall. For more info go to ⁠https://southcoastwriters.org/true-story-festival⁠

Super Early Bird Tickets for True Story Festival 2025 are available now at: ⁠https://events.humanitix.com/true-story-festival-2025⁠

Credits

Recorded by Two Heads Media

Curated by Caroline Baum, Sarah Nicholson (South Coast Writers Centre) & Genevieve Swart

With thanks to The Illawarra Flame

The South Coast Writers Centre acknowledges the Wodi Wodi people of the Dharawal nation as the traditional custodians of the land on which we live and work, and we offer our respect to elders past, present and emerging.