Melissa Lucashenko Releases "Not Quite White in the Head"

Melissa Lucashenko has released a new collection of essays titled "Not Quite White in the Head." The book was partly inspired by an encounter where a teenager, a fan of Lucashenko's non-fiction, inquired if she had written any fiction. This query prompted the acclaimed author to compile her essays into the new volume.

The title "Not Quite White in the Head" is intended to signal that the book addresses race from an unexpected perspective.

Lucashenko, who has Bundjalung and European heritage, is a celebrated figure in Australian literature. She won the 2019 Miles Franklin Literary Award for her novel "Too Much Lip" and has received eight awards for her novel "Edenglassie." Her non-fiction work also earned her a Walkley award in 2013 for "Sinking Below Sight: Down and Out in Brisbane and Logan."

Exploring Diverse Themes

"Not Quite White in the Head" delves into a broad range of subjects. These include the lives of prisoners and the urban poor, a personal siege experience, meeting a writing idol, discussions on Aboriginal identity, analysis of Australian literature, and her unique approach to portraying First Nations characters.

Lucashenko articulates a clear aim for her work:

Her goal is to depict "the possibility of love and laughter and land for us," highlighting a concept often overlooked in mainstream Australian narratives.

She observes that the idea of an Aboriginal person leading a prosperous life is still novel to many Australians. Lucashenko attributes this perception to a historical separation, citing semi-apartheid conditions in Queensland until the 1980s, which fostered distance and perpetuated racist mythology.

Challenging Perceptions of Identity

Lucashenko expressed skepticism regarding claims by some Australians that they have never met a First Nations person. She suggests that, in most cases, individuals have encountered Aboriginal people but perceived them as white, Arab, or Asian, due to pre-conceived notions.

Conversely, her own family history illustrates this fluidity of identity, with her mother having concealed her Aboriginal identity, finding it safer to identify as Russian.

Narrating Her Own Story

For the first time, Lucashenko took on the role of narrator for the audiobook version of her text, an Audible exclusive. Despite facing challenges, including completing the recording in an unconventional space, she found the experience profoundly positive.

Narrating allowed her to ensure correct pronunciation and emphasize specific points as intended, thereby reducing the interpretive distance between her original meaning and the reader's experience.