fiction book of the month
DIRT POOR ISLANDERS
Winnie Dunn
$ 32.99 $ 27.99
Dirt Poor Islanders is the Collins Fiction Book of the Month . This book is from debut novelist Winnie Dunn , and explores the challenges of growing up between two cultures . Dunn ’ s original voice shines through , combining humour and substance in an incredibly engaging way . We selected this book as we felt this was an important story to tell as well as a thoroughly enjoyable read . We were drawn into the heart of this book and want to share it with as many readers
Congratulations on being the Collins Fiction Book of the Month ! Can you tell us a bit about Dirt Poor Islanders ?
A mixed-race Tongan-Australian girl , Meadow Reed , is coming of age within the heat hummed streets of Sydney ’ s poorest suburb , Mount Druitt . Through this , she must learn to piece together the fragmented parts of her life : being hafekasi ( half-Tongan and half-White ), the blended nature of her family full of step and half siblings , and understanding what it means to have many mothers . All the while , Meadow is compelled to read , to write , to listen and to discover more than she ’ s ever meant to know as a dirt poor Islander .
I based this book on my personal and lived experiences as a Tongan- Australian growing up in Mount Druitt . To date , the only representations of Pasifikas have been in the realm of rugby league , true crime reportage and , most infamously , Chris Lilley ’ s minstrel mockumentaries Summer Heights High and Jonah from Tonga . Through my debut novel , I desired to change these stereotypes and reveal the true beauty and complexity of my misrepresented community .
This is your debut novel . Has this story always been something you ’ ve wanted to write ?
I grew up in an illiterate household . My parents could read the figures on an electricity bill and put pen to paper for a school late note , but books did not exist in my home . It wasn ’ t until I was in late primary school and early high school that I began to envelop myself in the tales of Harry Potter , A Series of Unfortunate Events , The Chronicles of Narnia and even Twilight . These novels were gifted to me by my mehekitanga ( paternal aunt and family leader ) who I am named after . She was the only one in my extended family that encouraged me to read .
The fact that I was the only person out of my parents and seven siblings to read , I believe , correlates with the fact that I was the first person in my extended family to ever go to university . It was at university that I was confronted with the fact that the stories I read as a child ( and into my adulthood ) were all centred on a particular type of person who was English / American , middle-class and heterosexual . Where were people like me ? Was there even space for people like me in literature ?
I devoted myself to writing in order to create a positive and humanising portrayal of my family and community .
Now that it ’ s finally happened , I still can ’ t believe my dream has come true ! I feel blessed and honoured to have this opportunity to represent a Pasifika experience through Dirt Poor Islanders .
The book has been described as autobiographical fiction . Can you tell us about how it was to fictionalise your experience of growing up ?
Like Meadow Reed , my own biological mother passed away from cancer when I was four . 15 years later , I discovered my birth-mother ’ s diary in a box of her old things . It was written in 1995 , the year I was born . With wide and curly handwriting my mother spoke to me from beyond the grave . ‘ Little Bib ’ she called me . It was then I realised that my birthmother , Mafile ’ o Theresa Helen Tuitavake , was a writer who never got to share her story . While completing Dirt Poor Islanders , I spent a lot of time at my mum ’ s grave in Rookwood Cemetery . And , every now and again , a slight breeze sounded like pen on paper .
Elements of Pacific storytelling traditions are woven through your writing . How important was this to you while crafting your novel ?
Dirt Poor Islanders is separated into four parts and each of those sections begins with a Tongan myth . Each myth is a reflection of the challenges Meadow Reed faces in her own life . I tried my best to contrast and juxtapose this ancient style of storytelling to the modern and unique vernacular of the western suburbs in which I was born and raised .
From twisted flower garlands to the tied-up laces on Nike TNs , it is my goal that readers learn from the wisdom of my people ; who are not just from the South Pacific Ocean but also from the eclectic and vibrant streets of Western Sydney .
What do you hope readers will get out of this book ?
I hope the Pasifika community will see themselves represented in the following ways : crowded Taragos , loud laughs around the makeshift dinner tables , tears shed in dark places , sweaty hugs , woven flowers , ngatu patterns , and the small voice that tells us we should use the dirt we are made from to grow into anything we imagine ourselves to be .
And I hope the broader Australian community will see a real side of the Pasifika community : big , beautiful , flawed , intelligent and rich in stories to tell .
We are sure there will be many readers who will be eager to hear more from you . Do you have any projects you ’ re working on that you can tell us about ?
As well as being a writer , I am the general manager and one of the chief editors at Sweatshop Literacy Movement . For those who may not know , Sweatshop is a grass-roots organisation in Western Sydney which is devoted to empowering First Nations people and people of colour through reading writing and critical thinking .
Through my work at Sweatshop , I am proud to have collaborated with some of Australia ’ s best writers as the editor of several celebrated anthologies , including Another Australia and Sweatshop Women . The latter was Australia ’ s first literary series produced entirely by women from Indigenous , migrant and refugee backgrounds .
Now that Dirt Poor Islanders is released , I ’ m excited to return to my work as an editor . I can ’ t reveal too much just yet , but very soon , we ’ ll be announcing the development of the first-ever anthology devoted to Pasifika writers and writing , so please keep an eye out for that one !
Finally , do you have any recommendations of books you have loved recently ?
So many wonderful writers have helped me on this journey , and I strongly recommend their work : Funny Ethnics by Vietnamese- Australian writer , Shirley Le . Songs for the Dead and the Living by Palestinian-Australian writer , Sara Saleh . Safe Haven by Sri-Lankan- Australian writer , Shankari Chandran . The Mother Wound by Lebanese- Australian writer , Amani Haydar . Can ’ t forget the first Tongan-Australian children ’ s book , I Am Lupe , written by Sela Ahosivi-Atiola . And my personal favourite , The Tribe by Lebanese-Australian writer Michael Mohammed Ahmad ( a little birdy told me there ’ s a gorgeous ten-year anniversary edition of this book coming out in May !)
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