Broulee Literary Circles Buzzing

By John Hicks

Broulee literary circles were buzzing on Sunday afternoon when award winning writer Madelaine Dickie launched her second novel Red Can Origami at the home of colourful local identities Marie Zuvich and husband Bill Nagle (aka Madelaine’s parents in law).   It was standing room only An easy way to get a standing ovation according to Madelaine.  

Maybe so but she deserved it.  She spoke passionately of life in the Kimberley and the issues explored in her book. 

Red Can Origami shadows a young reporter working in a tiny northern Australia town where she walks into a battle between a Japanese mining company and an Aboriginal community divided about a mining proposal.  Barramundi fishing and beer guzzling get a mention.  It was written on Balangarra country in the Kimberley and at Youkobo Art Space in Tokyo.

Madelaine spoke of her anxiety of writing as a non-Aboriginal about Aboriginal matters. But issues like caring for country, climate change and mining affect us all and there’s space for different voices.  She agreed with author Steve Hawke that The important thing is to write with great respect, write well and with a good heart.  

Behind every successful writer is a partner with a job and Madelaine paid tribute to her husband and surf mate Tom Nagle.

So far the novel has been warmly received by Broulee reviewers. I like the book said mother-in-law Marie and father-in-law Bill intends to like the book when he reads it.  Mossy Point’s Mel White liked the cover and was quite willing to judge the book by it.

Madelaine’s first novel Troppo won the City of Fremantle TAG Hungerford Award and was shortlisted for two other awards.   She currently lives in Exmouth WA except when she doesn’t. With the help of two recent grants, she has been writing her third novel at an arts residency at Arquetopia in Mexico.  She’s also working on a biography of Wayne Bergmann, an Aboriginal Nyikina man, and former CEO of the Kimberley Land Council, one of the most powerful in Australia.

Red Can Origami (Fremantle Press) can be purchased from local bookshops.