Storytelling offers a glimpse into the triumph and tragedy of lives affected by migration. Author Emily Brugman’s debut novel, The Islands, was inspired by her Finnish family’s migration experiences, and their time spent living and working on the Abrolhos Islands between 1959-1972. Clarissa Goenawan was born in Indonesia and currently lives in Singapore where she writes novels set in Japan and translates the work of others. In this session Emily and Clarisssa will discuss the journeys people take to create new lives and opportunities with David Allan-Petale.
Emily Brugman is a writer who grew up in Broulee on the far south coast of NSW, on the lands of the Yuin people. Her writing has appeared in literary journals, magazines, and anthologies; including Tracks, the UTS Writers’ Anthology and Lines to the Horizon: Australian surf writing. Her debut novel, The Islands, is inspired by her Finnish family’s migration experiences, and their time spent living and working on the Abrolhos Islands between 1959-1972.
Clarissa Goenawan is an Indonesian-born Singaporean writer and translator. Her short stories have won several awards. Rainbirds, her debut novel, has been published in eleven different languages. Her second novel, The Perfect World of Miwako Sumida, came out in 2020. Watersong is her third novel.
