maar bidi: next generation black writing

In this beautifully crafted, evocative and poignant anthology of prose and fiction, a diverse group of young black writers are encouraged to find strength in their voices and what is important to them. maar bidi is a journey into what it is to be young, a person of colour and a minority in divergent and conflicting worlds. All talk to what is meaningful to them, whilst connecting the old and the new, the ancient and the contemporary in a variety of ways.

These young essayists, critics, novelists, poets, authors shake down words and works to find styles, forms and meanings that have influenced them and all their writings. These pieces are snapshots of peoples, places and perception.

‘Each writer is telling an individual story but if you map them they are telling a story of young black Australia - and that makes it profound - because unlike other writers, Indigenous writers speak of country and kin. What does it mean for us when young Indigenous people find their voice in writing?’ - Elfie Shiosaki, Editor