A thoughtful, nuanced look at Thomas Keneally's The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith by award-winning journalist Stan Grant, which considers race, representation and Australian history.
Stan Grant is drawn to Thomas Keneally 'for many reasons- we share an Irish heritage and a complicated relationship with religion. I am especially interested in The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith, which was a formative novel for me. My family shares a connection with the real Jimmy Governor as well. The book raises questions about non-Indigenous writers tackling Indigenous issues and characters.'
In this eloquent, clear-eyed essay, acclaimed journalist Stan Grant sheds light on one of Australia's most controversial yet enduringly relevant novels.