Board of Regents of the University of Oklahoma

A Brief Conversation with Alexis Wright

Author(s): Alexis Wright
Source: World Literature Today, Vol. 82, No. 6 (Nov. - Dec., 2008), p. 55
Published by: Board of Regents of the University of Oklahoma
Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/20621419
Accessed: 06-11-2015 21:21 UTC

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A Brief Conversation
with Alexis Wright

What recentbook has captured your interest?
I have been very interested in a series of
natural-history books titled Animals. There are
a number of beautifully illustrated books in the
series, and the one that I am reading now is called
Peacock, by Christine E. Jackson (Reaktion Books,
2006). This is a particularly gorgeous edition on
peacocks and how this bird has inspired artists
and bird-lovers, and their significance in religion
and mythology in differentparts of theworld. I
loved seeing wild peacocks in India. I have also
nothing and thenmouthing off about having to
take time (theirentire term ingovernment) toplan
yet another process to look at a process of how to
be involved in a process foranything to get done.
What currentwriting projects do you have under
3
way or have planned for thenear future?
I am working on a new novel. It is a good
feeling tobe writing again, but I am also in a con
stant state of anxiety because I continuously ask AlexisWright (b 1950)
questions about what I am doing and whether the isone of Australia's best

read with as much joy the books in the series novel will convey what is happening in theworld known Indigenous authors
called Parrot and Swan. I am a great lover of the ofmy imagination. This is part of the process for and is a member of the

natural world and birds, so I have found a lot of me. I usually find the answers, but it takes time. I Waanyi nation of the

happiness locating books like the ones I have men have immersed myself in the research and ideas southernhighlandsof the
tioned in thewonderful Andrew Isles Bookshop for thisbook over a long time, and thathas been Gulf of Carpentaria. Her

inMelbourne, which specializes in books on flora a wonderful thing to do. It is truly a wondrous first novel, Plains of Promise

and fauna from across the world. experience to indulge in the fantasticworld of (1997), was short-listed

creating new literature. I am also writing a story for the Commonwealth

What outside the realm of literature has drawn forAmnesty International for an anthology that Prize, the Age Book of

your attention of late? they are preparing tomark the international sign the Year Award, and the

Discovering the great culture, tradition and ing of theUniversal Declaration ofHuman Rights NSW Premier's Award for

life of India and Europe inmy travels this year sixty years ago. I will be traveling to Italy in Fiction. Her second novel

to speak about my novel Carpentaria. I fell in love late September to speak at the sixthmeeting of Carpentaria (Giramondo,
with the ideas I heard fromwriters and thinkers the literaryand philosophical Torino Spiritualita 2006) haswon the2007
in India, and I learned so much again while Iwas festival, and Iwill go to Indonesia inOctober to Miles Franklin Literary

in Italy.After a short visit toDublin, I now feel I speak at the Ubud Writers Festival. I have now Award, the Australian

would like to spend more time in Ireland, and for taken up a

five-year
term as a research fellow at Literature Society Gold

the sake of literature, I need to visit the place in theUniversity ofWestern Sydney in theWriting Medal, the Victorian

Seamus Heaney's poem "Postscript" to see Irish and Society Research Group of theCollege of the Premier's Award for Fiction,
swans. My attention at home is on the crippling Arts. This position is one of several newly cre the Queensland Premier's

state of the environment.My heart is saddened for ated positions that have been created forwriters Award for Fiction, and the

the once mighty Murray River thatnow appears and translators to promote Australian literature. ABIA Literary
FictionBook
tobe dying because of decades ofmisuse, and the I feel that this initiative places theUniversity of of theYear. She holds the
change in climate brings too little rain. I am also Western Sydney at the very top of the field as a positionof Distinguished
blown away by the inability of this or previous world leader of innovation in literature.A huge Research Fellow at the

governments to plan and be prepared towork on precedent and challenge has been set to other University of Western
a settlement on Indigenous rights, recognition, learning institutions to place a similar high value Writingand Society
Sydney,
and compensation fordecades of damages when on the importance of how literature is produced Research Group, College
either in power or not, given there are only two for the country of origin, and the standing of that of the Arts, and she is a

major political parties in the country, so itcan only literature in theworld. member of theWriters

be one or the other in government. I am tired of Advisory Panel for

thehollowness of politicians sitting around doing August 2008 Sydney PEN.

November-December 2008 i 55

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