Story by Luka Dukovski
Photo by Ryan Low
Kirli Saunders is an award-winning author who has produced fantastic novels and picture books such as Bindi, The Land Recalls You, Our Dreaming and more. Her stories dive deep into the world of Aboriginal culture.
Luca Dukovski: Great to have you, Kirli. What inspires your stories?
Kirli Saunders: I think my own experiences in life inspire a lot of my stories. The Incredible Freedom Machines is about my journey with myself and my curiosity and wonder as a child. Our Dreaming is a story about honouring the dreaming as it was told to me by my elders. The Land Recalls You is a story about the Stolen Generation returning and remembering their land and experiences as children. Afloat is about climate change and the importance of Caring for Country. And finally, Bindi is a book that’s based on my childhood, growing up in an area affected by bushfires.
LD: Tell me about this character, Bindi. What were her struggles?
KS: Bindi is an 11-year-old girl who speaks Gandangara language and is growing up on Gandangara country. She plays hockey in a team that loses all the time. She is a horse rider, but also has a passion for art and hates math. And during the story, a massive bushfire rolls through the town, so this book really is about Bindi’s experience growing up in this town and managing its problems.
LD: How do you come up with your characters?
KS: Being around people and observing them really helps me develop characters in my mind. But then, when it comes to the time where I put these characters down on paper, they might be scrapped completely. Many of the characters in my stories are either unnamed or referenced, but not always seen or spoken about. There are always a lot of additional characters that are born when the book is being written, so I never really have all the characters sketched out until the very end of the process.
LD: Tell me about your Aboriginal Culture. How does this influence your writing?
KS: I am a proud Gunai woman with ties on my Pop’s side, Yuin Country on my Mum’s side and then also Ngunnawal, Bidjigal and Gandangara country elsewhere. Those five countries really drive my stories, and my cultural community in those places too. I really want to make Aboriginal kids feel proud and I want to teach people about our culture in our country.
LD: Finally, if you had any advice for the younger generations of writing, what would it be?
KS: Read a lot and write even more. Carry books around wherever you go. Take your laptop around. Scribble on receipts. From time to time, brainstorm some ideas. Any place where you can write a story is a good thing to be around. Constantly observe. It’s about having those cognitive juices flowing as much as you can.