Module A - Language, Identity and Culture - Contemporary Asian Australian Poets - Texts and Human Experiences

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Contemporary Asian Australian poets by Aitken, Adam , Cahill, Michelle & Boey, Kim Cheng
Call Number: ENG 821.4 CON
ISBN: 9781921450655
Publication Date: 2013
This ground-breaking anthology collects poems written by Australian poets who are migrants, their children, and refugees of Asian heritage, spanning work that covers over three decades of writing. Inclusive of hitherto marginalised voices, these poems explore the hyphenated and variegated ways of being Asian Australian, and demonstrate how the different origins and traditions transplanted from Asia have generated new and different ways of being Australian. This anthology highlights the complexity of Asian Australian interactions between cultures and languages, and is a landmark in a rich, diversely-textured and evolving story. Timely and proactive this anthology fills existing cultural gaps in poetic expressions of home, travel, diaspora, identity, myth, empire and language.
Growing up Asian in Australia by Alice Pung
ISBN: 1863951911
Publication Date: 2008-06-01
Asian-Australians have often been written about by outsiders, as outsiders. In this collection, compiled by award-winning author Alice Pung, they tell their own stories with verve, courage and a large dose of humour. They tell tales of leaving home, falling in love, coming out and finding one's feet. A young Cindy Pan vows to win every single category of Nobel Prize. Tony Ayres blows a kiss to a skinhead and lives to tell the tale. Benjamin Law has a close encounter with some angry Australian fauna, and Kylie Kwong makes a moving pilgrimage to her great-grandfather's Chinese village. Here are well-known authors and exciting new voices, spanning several generations and drawn from all over Australia. In sharing their stories, they show us what it is really like to grow up Asian, and Australian. Contributors include- Shaun Tan, Jenny Kee, Annette Shun Wah, Anh Do, Khoa Do, John So, Simone Lazaroo, Christopher Cyril, Jason Yat-Sen Li, Sunil Badami, Hoa Pham, Quan Yeomans, Caroline Tran, Tom Cho, Vanessa Woods and many more ...
What is poetry? : the essential guide to reading & writing poems by Rosen, Michael & Calder, Jill
Call Number: NFS 809.1 ROS
ISBN: 9781844287635
Publication Date: 2016
Over many years as a working poet, Michael Rosen has thought a great deal about what poems are, what they can do and the pleasure that comes from writing and reading poetry. In this invaluable handbook, he shares this knowledge and experience in book form for the very first time. Starting with a detailed analysis of a number of classic poems, he offers a real 'writer's guide' to writing and performing poems, as well as a wealth of technical information and tips. He then takes a fascinating look at a selection of his own poems and explains how and why he wrote them.
Laurinda by Pung, A
Call Number: F PUN
ISBN: 9781863956925
Publication Date: 2014
Laurinda is an exclusive school for girls. At its secret core is the Cabinet, a trio of girls who wield power over their classmates - and some of their teachers.
Entering this world of wealth and secrets is Lucy Lam, a scholarship girl with sharp eyes and a shaky sense of self. As she watches the Cabinet at work, and is courted by them, Lucy finds herself in a battle for her identity and integrity.
Funny, feisty and moving, Laurinda explores Lucy's struggle to stay true to herself as she finds her way in a new world of privilege and opportunity.
Unpolished Gem by Alice Pung
ISBN: 9781863951586
Publication Date: 2006-01-01
This story does not begin on a boat. Nor does it contain any wild swans or falling leaves. In a wonderland called Footscray, a girl named Alice and her Chinese-Cambodian family pursue the Australian Dream - Asian style. Armed with an ocker accent, Alice dives head-first into schooling, romance and the getting of wisdom. Her mother becomes an Aussie battler - an outworker, that is. Her father embraces the miracle of franchising and opens an electrical-appliance store. And every day her grandmother blesses Father Government for giving old people money. Unpolished Gem is a book rich in comedy, a loving and irreverent portrait of a family, its everyday struggles and bittersweet triumphs. With it, Australian writing gains an unforgettable new voice. 'This is a sophisticated and fiercely intelligent book.' Helen Garner 'A memoir so vivid that images from it linger behind your eyelids.' The Age 'Unpolished Gem is virtuoso storytelling.' The Australian
Her Father's Daughter by Alice Pung
ISBN: 9781863955423
Publication Date: 2011-07-01
'Alice Pung is a gem. Her voice is the real thing.' - Amy TanAt twenty-something, Alice is hungry for the milestones of young womanhood- leaving home, choosing a career, finding friendship and love on her own terms. But with each step she takes away from home, she feels the sharp tug of invisible threads- the love and worry of her Chinese-Cambodian parents, who want more than anything to keep her from harm. Her father fears for her safety to an extraordinary degree - but why? As she digs further into her father's story, Alice embarks on a journey of painful discovery- of memories lost and found, of her own fears for the future, of history and how it echoes down the years. Set in Melbourne, China and Cambodia, Her Father's Daughter captures a father - daughter relationship in a moving and astonishingly powerful way. Praise for Unpolished Gem- 'A memoir so vivid that images from it linger behind your eyelids.' - The Age'Unpolished Gem is virtuoso storytelling.' - The Australian'This is a sophisticated and fiercely intelligent book.' - Helen Garner
What is a poem? by Guillain, Charlotte
Call Number: NFS 809.1 GUI
ISBN: 9781406290059
Publication Date: 2015
Delve into literature and discover exactly what a poem is. What makes a great poem? How does rhyme work? What is a shape poem? Can poems be funny? Using great examples from past and present, this book explains clearly what is meant by poetry, then prompts children to write their own!

Poetry

His story is part of a collection of works called Poems for the Moon. To celebrate the Lunar New Year in 2020 (Year of the Rat), five Asian Australian poets reflect on tradition, legacy, identity and sense of place through verses and voices, poetry beats. Heather Joan Day, Eileen Chong, Ouyang Yu, Jessie Tu, Keith Hung Tran come from diverse Asian backgrounds, offering distinct poetry styles and different cultural experiences navigating a contemporary Australia.

Eileen Chong performs her work Spring Festival - exploring her Chinese heritage and traditions, about food, family and everyday life.

CONTENT WARNING: Adult Themes

Heather Joan Day performs her work Baby BI BI Bi - Island - reflecting on her experiences growing up bi-racial in Australia.

Jessie Tu performs her work The history of Weight Her story is part of a collection of works called Poems for the Moon.

Keith Hung Tran performs his work All the Good in Me. His story is part of a collection of works called Poems for the Moon.

SBS News

From the gold rush in the 1800s to today's opportunities for skilled migrants: is Australia really the most successful multicultural society in the world?

ClickView

History of Chinese migration to Australia.

Pocket Compass explores migration to Australia and changing attitudes towards our newest citizens. Their stories reveal what contributes to a migrant's sense of belonging and how that enriches Australian society as a whole.

YouTube

Travel back in time to witness our long journey to the 24 million people that we have in Australia today.

TED Talks

Asian Century Institute

While a growing share of migrants to Australia comes from Asian countries like China and India, only a very small number come from Indonesia, Australia's nearest and very important Asian neighbor.

Migration Heritage Centre

In 1788, when European settlement began, Australia’s Aboriginal population was about 400,000. Today, over 20 million people live here. Migration has been the main driver for this change. In New South Wales, four out of every ten people are either migrants or the children of migrant.

Asian Immigration to Australia

The maiden speech by the Member for Oxley on 10 September 1996 provided the catalyst for renewed debate on Asian immigration and its significance for Australia. This debate has expanded to countries in the region, and has involved reassertion of the principle of non-discrimination in Australia's migration program through a bipartisan Parliamentary motion, which was unanimously passed.

Merlinda Bobis

Award-winning writer Merlinda Bobis grew up in Albay, Philippines at the foot of an active volcano, which figures prominently in her writing and performance.

Poetry International Web

The Poetry International Foundation is a literary organisation based in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, and encompassing a number of partner organisations worldwide.