Join debut Aboriginal author Gary Lonesborough in launching his new YA novel The Boy from the Mish, in conversation with Gabbie Stroud. Date And Time Wed, 10 February 2021 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm AEDT
Location Bega Valley Commemorative Civic Centre, Zingel Place, Bega, NSW 2550
About this Event Debut Aboriginal author Gary Lonesborough is proud to launch his new YA novel The Boy from the Mish, publishing February 2nd 2021. The Boy from the Mish is a funny and heart-warming queer Indigenous YA novel, set in a rural Australian community, about seventeen-year-old Jackson finding the courage to explore who he is. Gary will be in-conversation with Gabbie Stroud, the bestselling author of Teacher and Dear Parents. Book your free ticket now for what will no doubt be a stellar event at the Bega Valley Commemorative Civic Centre. Gary's book will be available for purchase on the night from Candelo Books, Bega. About Gary: Gary Lonesborough is a Yuin man from Bega, NSW. He was always writing as a child, and continued his creative journey when he moved to Sydney to study at film school. This led to Gary working on the feature film adaptation of Jasper Jones. As a role model for Aboriginal youth and an emerging talent in the creative arts, Gary was awarded Bega Valley Shire Council’s Young Citizen of the Year Award. In his final year of high school, he won the Patrick White Young Indigenous Writers’ Award, and he has since received a Copyright Agency First Nations Fellowship. Gary writes late at night, into the early hours of the morning. ‘I like to think it is part of my DNA as an Aboriginal person – to tell stories,’ he says, ‘because Aboriginal people have been telling stories for thousands of years.’ The Boy from the Mish is Gary’s debut YA novel. About The Boy from the Mish: It’s a hot summer, and life’s going okay for Jackson and his family on the Mish. It’s almost Christmas, school’s out, and he's hanging with his mates, teasing the visiting tourists, and avoiding the racist boys in town. Just like every year, Jackson’s Aunty and his annoying little cousins visit from Sydney – but this time, a boy named Tomas comes with them. Tomas is quiet, from a troubled background, and he’s artistic – more into his writing than he is willing to admit. And as both boys let down their guard, and their friendship evolves, Jackson must confront the changing shapes of his relationships with his friends, family and community. He must face his darkest secret – a secret that could shatter the careful persona he has built for himself on the Mish. Compelling, honest and beautifully written, The Boy from the Mish is about first love, identity, and the superpower of self-belief. It’s an evocative novel that begins with a subtle power – in the hushed tones of someone hiding their true identity – before being set alight in a firestorm of passion, bravery and true connection. The Boy from the Mish is out Feb 2nd 2021 through Allen & Unwin. *Note: There is a COVID-safe capacity of 80 people, and COVID guidelines will be adhered to at all times.
