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5 Books by Aboriginal Australian Authors You Need to Read
Are you looking to diversify your reading? We’re continuing our Read the World series with a trip to Australia to celebrate incredible First Nations storytellers!
Read the World #2
Last month we started our Read the World series with the Netherlands, check out the blog here. This month we travel to Australia to discover some authors from Australia’s First Nation people —the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
Australia has a small but thriving publishing scene. While you may have heard of popular Australian authors like Jay Kristoff, Amie Kaufman, or Lynette Noni, there is a deep reservoir of rich, diverse storytelling across the country. Australia’s First Nations peoples have an ancient tradition of oral and written storytelling, and modern literature is no exception.
Here is a curated list of must-read books by Aboriginal Australian authors to add to your reading list.
| Book Title | Author | Nation / Mob | Genre | Key Highlights |
| The Interrogation of Ashala Wolf | Ambelin Kwaymullina | Palyku | YA / Dystopian | Post-apocalyptic fiction with magical elements & strong female lead |
| Paris Dreaming | Anita Heiss | Wiradjuri | Contemporary Romance | Fun, lighthearted romcom featuring travel and art culture |
| Growing Up Aboriginal in Australia | Anita Heiss (Ed.) | Various | Non-Fiction / Anthology | First-person accounts challenging stereotypes and sharing lived experiences |
| Growing Up Torres Strait Islander in Australia | Samantha Faulkner (Ed.) | Various | Non-Fiction / Anthology | Diverse essays on cultural connection, history, and identity |
| Valentine | Jodi McAlister | Australian | YA / Urban Fantasy | Faeri |
Dystopian & Young Adult
The Interrogation of Ashala Wolf by Ambelin Kwaymullina
Ashala Wolf has been captured by Chief Administrator Neville Rose, a man intent on destroying Ashala’s Tribe – the runaway Illegals hiding in the Firstwood. Injured and with her Sleepwalker ability blocked, Ashala is forced to succumb to the machine that will pull secrets from her mind. And right beside her is Justin Connor, her betrayer, watching her every move.
- Genre: YA Dystopian / Sci-Fi
- Author Nation: Palyku people (Pilbara region, Western Australia)
- Themes: Resistance, environmental balance, identity
Set in a world recovering from an environmental apocalypse, this story follows Ashala Wolf, leader of the Tribe—a group of runaways with magical abilities who are hunted and detained by an oppressive regime. When Ashala is captured and subjected to a memory-extracting machine, she must safeguard her tribe’s secrets while confronting her betrayer, Justin Connor.
If you love dystopian adventures with a courageous female lead, world-building rooted in Indigenous perspectives on nature, and a touch of enemies-to-lovers tension, this opening entry in The Tribe series is a must-read.
Contemporary Romance
Paris Dreaming by Anita Heiss
Libby has given up on romance. After all, she has her three best girlfriends and two cats to keep her company at night, and her high-powered job at the National Aboriginal Gallery in Canberra to occupy her day – isn’t that enough?
But when fate gives Libby the chance to work in Paris at the Musée du Quai Branly, she’s thrown out of her comfort zone and into a city full of culture, fashion and love.
Surrounded by thousands of gorgeous men, romance has suddenly become a lot more tempting.
- Genre: Contemporary Romance
- Author Nation: Wiradjuri nation (Central New South Wales)
- Themes: Career, self-discovery, romance, travel
Libby is content with her three best friends, two cats, and a high-powered job at the National Aboriginal Gallery in Canberra. Romance is the last thing on her mind—until an opportunity arises to work in Paris at the Musée du Quai Branly. Plunged into a city of fashion, art, and vibrant culture, Libby finds that love might be worth taking a chance on after all.
This novel is ideal for readers seeking a lighthearted, witty romcom that weaves cultural pride into a scenic international adventure.
Non-Fiction & Memoirs
Growing Up Aboriginal in Australia by Various Authors, edited by Anita Heiss
What is it like to grow up Aboriginal in Australia? This anthology, compiled by award-winning author Anita Heiss, showcases many diverse voices, experiences and stories in order to answer that question.
Accounts from well-known authors and high-profile identities sit alongside those from newly discovered writers of all ages. All of the contributors speak from the heart – sometimes calling for empathy, oftentimes challenging stereotypes, always demanding respect.
This groundbreaking collection will enlighten, inspire and educate about the lives of Aboriginal people in Australia today.
- Genre: Non-Fiction / Essay Anthology
- Author Nation: Various First Nations contributors
- Themes: Identity, resilience, lived experience
This groundbreaking anthology features diverse contributions from established voices—like Adam Goodes, Tony Birch, and Miranda Tapsell—alongside emerging writers. Each piece addresses personal history, cultural pride, and systemic challenges with honesty and warmth.
It is an essential read for anyone looking to understand contemporary First Nations experiences beyond media stereotypes.
Growing Up Torres Strait Islander in Australia by Various Authors, edited by Samantha Faulkner
Discover stories of going dugong hunting and eating mango marinated in soy sauce. The smell of sugar cane and frangipani-scented sea breeze. Family, grandmothers and canoe time. Dancing, singing, weaving hats and making furniture from bamboo. Training as a doctor and advocating for healthcare for the Torres Strait. The loneliness of being caught between two cultures. Mission life, disconnection and being evacuated to the mainland during World War II. “Is that really your mum? Why is she black?”. Not being Islander enough. Working hard to reconnect to your roots, and claiming back land and culture.
- Genre: Non-Fiction / Essay Anthology
- Author Nation: Torres Strait Islander contributors
- Themes: Heritage, island culture, family history
The Torres Strait Islands comprise more than 274 islands between Queensland and New Guinea. This vibrant collection gathers personal accounts spanning generations, sharing memories of traditional island life, hunting, bamboo craft, wartime displacement, and navigating identity across two cultures.
It offers an illuminating, heartfelt window into the rich heritage and distinct identity of Torres Strait Islander communities.
Urban Fantasy
Valentine by Jodi McAlister
Strange and terrible things begin to happen to four teenagers – all born on the same Valentine’s Day. One of these teenagers is the Valentine: a Seelie fairy changeling swapped for a human child at its birth. The Unseelie have come to kill the Valentine – except they don’t know who it is.
Pearl shares a birthday with Finn Blacklin. She’s known him all her life and disliked every second of it. But now Pearl and Finn must work together to protect themselves from the sinister forces that are seeking them out.
- Genre: YA Urban Fantasy
- Author Origin: New South Wales, Australia
- Themes: Faerie lore, mystery, pop culture
When dark forces begin targeting four teenagers born on the exact same Valentine’s Day in a small Australian town, Pearl Linford is forced to team up with her long-time rival, Finn Blacklin. One of them is a Seelie fairy changeling swapped at birth, and the Unseelie are hunting them down.
Fast-paced and filled with witty pop-culture references, this book blends Australian settings with dark fairytale elements.
Kat, @stars.and.embers on Instagram, loves all things nerdy and fantasy. She is currently writing to you from Naarm/Melbourne.
Join the Read the World Challenge
Are you taking part in a Read the World challenge? We’d love to hear your favourite recommendations by international authors! Share your picks or reach out to jenny@bookinfluencers.com join our upcoming feature.
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