The Woman Booker Prize Club is a local Hobart book club. Here they share their thoughts on books by Tasmanian authors, set in Tasmania, or about Tassie topics. Over to the club!

This month we review two books by palawa/pakana (Tasmanian Aboriginal) authors. In Trouwerner, Aunty Patsy Cam­eron takes a conversational approach to memoir and sharing wisdom, collaborating with Martin Flanagan and Kate Warner. Adam Thompson’s short story collection, Born Into This, presents glimpses into dif­ferent lives and ways of being Aboriginal in Tasmania today.

Trouwerner by Aunty Patsy Cameron and Martin Flanagan, (Magabala Books, February 2025) Review by Melanie Ross

Aunty Patsy Cameron grew up on Flinders Island, steeped in the traditions of her First Nations ancestors yet living firmly in what us whitefellas would call the modern era. This book is a wonderful conversation between Aunty Patsy, Martin Flanagan, and former Governor of Tasmania Kate Warner. Unlike anything else I have read, Flanagan centres Aunty Patsy’s deep cultural knowledge while contextualising white audiences’ understandings of both the history and the present of Tasmania.

Meandering along in prose that is casual, conversational but never dismissive, Flanagan delivers anecdotes ranging from Aunty Patsy’s childhood, to the prem­inghana petroglyphs, George Augustus Robinson’s mission, and back to Kate Warner’s family farm. A picture begins to emerge that emphasises relationality above all – each story shades its own unique part of a much bigger picture, but so gradually that a reader barely notices the process.

Although a far cry from a rom-com, this would nonetheless make an excellent ‘beach read’ this summer, especially for those in your life who tend more towards non-fiction. It’s also an excellent compan­ion piece to Truganini by Cassandra Pybus, which I recently reviewed in this column. Trouwerner is a wonderful, unassuming, understated contribution to the small but nevertheless substantial and growing crop of powerful First Nations stories from trouwerner/Lutruwita/Tasmania.

Born Into This by Adam Thompson (UQP, February 2021) Review by Megan Tighe

I had this on my TBR pile for over a year before I finally picked it up. I was instant­ly captured by the relatable, personal and vernacular story telling, and I didn’t put it down again until I’d finished the whole book in the same sitting.

Born Into This comprises 16 stories that feel real, personal; deeply connected to communities and Country. What struck me most was how vividly Thompson captured the tensions between cultures and histories in day-to-day contexts. There’s pride, frustration, heartbreak and plenty of humour. I laughed out loud multiple times at perfectly pinpointed observations.

If you’re looking for something honest, down-to-earth and thought provoking, with a different lens on life in our island home, this book delivers in spades. Highly recommended.

In 2022, UQP announced they had acquired the rights to Adam Thompson’s next two books. We’re crossing our fingers and toes that we might see a new release this year!

Book Chatter What’s your New Year’s Resolu­tion? We have a great one for you to consider – Libraries Tasmania have more adult learners than they have Adult Literacy tutors. If you love reading and want to share your skills (and your passion), why don’t you get in touch about becoming a volunteer tutor?

In another fresh start, our equal-fa­vourite UTAS-Creative-Writing-Lec­turer-and-British-expat-turned-lo­cal-novelist, Liz Evans has been recording her new magazine-style podcast celebrating Tasmania’s vi­brant literary culture – and we hope to get the first episodes in our ears soon!

P.S. Did you know international gothic literary superstar, Mariana Enriquez, moved to Launceston last year? We hope to see her at some local events this year.

Keen to chat books with us? Find us on Instagram @thewomanbookerprizeclub or email thewbpc@gmail.com