Genre Fiction
- Publisher : Two Dollar Radio
- Published : 13 Jul 2021
- Pages : 142
- ISBN-10 : 1953387047
- ISBN-13 : 9781953387042
- Language : English
Born Into This
* Readings Prize for New Australian Fiction, Shortlist.
* Queensland Literary Awards – University of Southern Queensland Steele Rudd Award for a Short Story Collection, Shortlist.
* Age Book of the Year award, Finalist.
* An American Bookseller's Association Indie Next pick for "Great New Reads" for August.
The remarkable stories in Born Into This are eye-opening, razor-sharp, and entertaining, often all at once.
From an Aboriginal ranger trying to instill some pride in wayward urban teens on the harsh islands off the coast of Tasmania, to those scraping by on the margins of white society railroaded into complex and compromised decisions, Adam Thompson presents a powerful indictment of colonialism and racism.
With humor, pathos, and the occasional sly twist, Thompson's characters confront discrimination, untimely funerals, classroom politics, the ongoing legacy of cultural destruction, and ― overhanging all like a discomforting, burgeoning awareness for both black and white Australia ― the inexorable disappearance of the remnant natural world.
"With its wit, intelligence and restless exploration of the parameters of race and place, Thompson's debut collection is a welcome addition to the canon of Indigenous Australian writers."
―Thuy On, The Guardian
* Queensland Literary Awards – University of Southern Queensland Steele Rudd Award for a Short Story Collection, Shortlist.
* Age Book of the Year award, Finalist.
* An American Bookseller's Association Indie Next pick for "Great New Reads" for August.
The remarkable stories in Born Into This are eye-opening, razor-sharp, and entertaining, often all at once.
From an Aboriginal ranger trying to instill some pride in wayward urban teens on the harsh islands off the coast of Tasmania, to those scraping by on the margins of white society railroaded into complex and compromised decisions, Adam Thompson presents a powerful indictment of colonialism and racism.
With humor, pathos, and the occasional sly twist, Thompson's characters confront discrimination, untimely funerals, classroom politics, the ongoing legacy of cultural destruction, and ― overhanging all like a discomforting, burgeoning awareness for both black and white Australia ― the inexorable disappearance of the remnant natural world.
"With its wit, intelligence and restless exploration of the parameters of race and place, Thompson's debut collection is a welcome addition to the canon of Indigenous Australian writers."
―Thuy On, The Guardian
Editorial Reviews
![Born Into This, stories by Adam Thompson](https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0722/2871/files/Born_Into_This_-_Adam_Thompson_480x480.jpg?v=1611155987)
* Readings Prize for New Australian Fiction, Shortlist
From the Readings announcement, on Born Into This by Adam Thompson:
"Engaging and thought-provoking, this collection of short stories is set in Tasmania and filled with unforgettable characters. As an examination of masculinity, a showcase of life as a First Nations person in a specific time and place, and a reminder of what we are losing and have lost, both in the natural world and culturally, these tales are a triumph. While they might start off feeling self-contained, by the end the message is loud and clear―and it is certainly not one to be missed."
* Age Book of the Year award, Finalist
Read the announcement for the Age Book of the Year award finalists, which has a $10,000 prize, in the The Sydney Morning Herald.
* Born Into This is an "Indie Next Great Reads for August" pick from The American Booksellers Association (ABA)! View the full list here.
"A legacy of cultural destruction in Australia and the disappearance of the natural world loom over stories of Aboriginal rangers, untimely funerals and angry bees in this sharp fiction debut."
―New York Times Book Review (Aug. 8, 2021)
![Born Into This, stories by Adam Thompson, New York Times Book Review](https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0722/2871/products/BornIntoThis-NYTBookReview-8-8-2021_2048x2048.jpg?v=1628442182)
"Born into This presents a masterful delineation of culture and identity... Thompson interrogates the irrevocable and ongoing impact of colonization on his community with charm, wit, and humor."
―Gauraa Shekhar, The Rumpus (Read the full Rumpus interview with author Adam Thompson)
"It is easy to pl...