Audiobooks narrated by Tamala Shelton

"‘I’ve spent the majority of my life fighting for the rights of Traditional Owners. This has put me in the firing line. But I chose this job, I chose this political path. My family did not.’ – Wayne Bergmann It’s Broome, 2010. Nyikina man Wayne Bergmann has just received a death threat. His wife has watched a friend cross the road to avoid speaking with her. His children are subject to intense schoolyard bullying. Bergmann, a boilermaker by trade, and lawyer, is chief executive of the Kimberley Land Council during the controversial James Price Point gas hub negotiations. It’s an event that will tear the Broome community apart. Wayne’s story starts on Nyikina country and encompasses backbreaking station work, buried treasure, a Swedish bone thief and traditional magic love songs. His is an electrifying tale of resilience, determination and optimism, which shows what it takes to be an Aboriginal person walking in two cultures in a country where racism runs deep."

Madelaine Dickie, Wayne Bergmann (Author), Tamala Shelton (Narrator)

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Dirrayawadha: Rise Up

"'Dirrayawadha is full of heart and hope, truth-telling and history - and shimmers with language too' Guardian 'A story from the past given vivid life for new understanding' Kate Grenville Bathurst, 1820s Miinaa was a young girl when the white ghosts first arrived. She remembers the day they raised a piece of cloth and renamed her homeland 'Bathurst'. Now she lives at Cloverdale and works for a white family who have settled there. The Nugents are kind, but Miinaa misses her miyagan. His brother, Windradyne, is a Wiradyuri leader, and visits when he can, bringing news of unrest across their ngurambang. Miinaa hopes the violence will not come to Cloverdale. When Irish convict Daniel O'Dwyer arrives at the settlement, Miinaa's life is transformed again. The pair are magnetically drawn to each other and begin meeting at the bila in secret. Dan understands how it feels to be displaced, but they still have a lot to learn about each other. Can their love survive their differences and the turmoil that threatens to destroy everything around them? From the bestselling author of Bila Yarrudhanggalangdhuray (River of Dreams) comes another groundbreaking historical novel about resistance, resilience and love during the frontier wars. Praise for Dirrayawadha (Rise Up): 'Dirrayawadha is a story of the courage of the Wiradyuri nation and the love of their Country. Anita Heiss is a remarkable writer.' Tony Birch 'To read the book is to enter a lost time, a retrieved war, and to learn much, not least Wiradyuri. With dhuluny (truth) and marrumbang (love) of story, Heiss makes something good. And that is something for which modern Australia can be grateful.' The Age 'Historical in tone, yet absolutely contemporary in scope, Dirrayawadha is a beautiful triumph.' Mirandi Riwoe 'Dirrayawadha is a beautifully written and masterful telling of a pivotal point in our history.' Nicole Alexander"

Anita Heiss (Author), Tamala Shelton (Narrator)

Audiobook

Money Diaries with She’s on the Money: The power in rewriting your money story

"Do you know what your money story is - your personal set of beliefs and experiences around money that directly influences how you earn, save and spend? Could your story be holding you back from the financial life you dream of? Meet 25 incredible real-life Money Diarists who are digging deep, opening up and sharing their intimate money stories with finance expert Victoria Devine - to lift the lid on how money really works in our lives so we can all understand it better. It's honest, it's eye-opening, and it's more juicy than you'd ever expect a book about money to be! These inspiring and motivating stories come with a range of guided journalling activities that will help you work out your own money story, how it impacts your behaviour, and how you can change your mindset about money to feel more in control. Plus there are money win tips from the savvy She's on the Money community in every chapter to help you pocket some easy savings (you're welcome!). Money Diaries with She's on the Money will help you align your finances with your values, feel proud of your progress and gain confidence on your journey to financial freedom."

Victoria Devine (Author), Ben Walter, Ella Ferris, Gabriela Van Wyk, Tamala Shelton, Victoria Devine (Narrator)

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Compassion

"LONGLISTED FOR THE MILES FRANKLIN AWARD From the acclaimed author of the Miles Franklin longlisted Madukka: The River Serpent (UWA) and the Barbara Jefferis Award shortlisted Benevolence, Compassion continues Julie Janson’s emotional and intense literary exploration of the complex and dangerous lives of Aboriginal women during the 1800s in colonial New South Wales, which she began in Benevolence as a counter narrative to colonial history in Australian literature. Compassion is the dramatised life story of one of Julie Janson’s ancestors who went on trial for stealing livestock in New South Wales, and it is an exciting and violent story of anti-colonial revenge and roaming adventure. A gripping fictive account of Aboriginal life in the 1800s, Compassion follows the life of Duringah, AKA Nell James, the outlaw daughter of the Darug hero of Benevolence, Muraging."

Julie Janson (Author), Tamala Shelton (Narrator)

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Pemulwuy: The Rainbow Warrior

"This is the story of one of Australia's first true heroes Pemulwuy. A proud and feared Aboriginal warrior Pemulwuy leads an uncompromising twelve-year war against British colonial oppression and makes the supreme sacrifice in order to guide his people to safety. Most histories of Australia start with the First Fleet and the hard times the colonists had with the climate and unruly convicts. Very few mention what really happened or the blood that was spilled in the wars never spoken of. Pemulwuy a Bidjigal man unites the neighbouring peoples runaway convicts bushrangers and an escaped African known as Black Caesar in a guerilla war that pushes the invading English to the brink. This novel was conceived out of Pemulwuy's legend and the historical events between 1788 and 1802. It is a story that all Australians should know. 'This is more than a novel, more than a story, it is the Big Bang: where the idea of Australia starts.' Stan Grant"

Eric Willmot (Author), Tamala Shelton (Narrator)

Audiobook

Benevolence: A Novel

"“How good it is to hear a Darug voice speaking of Darug history.”—Kate Grenville, author of The Secret River, winner of the Commonwealth Prize Blending the mythical power of Téa Obreht and the epic scope of Min Jin Lee, a searing historical novel that tells a story of colonization, survival, and resistance in a way never done before—a beautiful, brilliant, and brutal reimagining of the first contact between Indigenous people and white British settlers and the far-reaching consequences for one Aboriginal girl coming of age in an unsteady and dangerous world. For all known time, Muraging’s people, the Darug, have lived on this land between the river and the sea. But change comes swiftly in the early years of the nineteenth century when White settlers begin to arrive, laying claim to the continent, long inhabited by Aboriginal tribes like Muraging’s, for the British empire. At ten years old, Muraging is given over to the Parramatta Native School by her father, where the missionaries call her Mary James, force her to abandon her culture and language, and teach her subjects they believe will save her soul: English, Christianity, and housework. Six years later, seeking a brighter future, Muraging flees the school, embarking on a journey of discovery and a search for a safe place in an unfamiliar and unsteady new world—an odyssey far more winding and treacherous than she ever dreamed. Spanning two decades, from 1816-1835, and set around the Hawkesbury River area, the home of the Darug people in Parramatta and Sydney, Benevolence sheds light on the heartbreaking violence and erasure of colonization, as well as remarkable survival and resistance—a vivid and compelling portrait of the Aboriginal Australians whose way of life is forever altered. Award-winning Australian writer Julie Janson’s draws on historical events to recreate this pivotal time—things that may have happened to her own ancestors—giving voice to an Aboriginal experience of early-settlement in Australia."

Julie Janson (Author), Katherine Littrell, Tamala Shelton (Narrator)

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The Orphancorp Trilogy

"ORPHANCORP brings together all three books in Marlee Jane Ward’s captivating trilogy comprising Welcome to Orphancorp, Psynode and Prisoncorp. From orphanage to prison, the Orphancorp Trilogy is a heartfelt, brutal, funny, and diverse story about when corporate interests overwhelm human rights, and what happens to children when they bloom in the darkest of places. ‘Freedom feels scary, feels too big and every time I think about what I might do I stop being able to think about anything.’ In a futuristic and dystopian Australia, industrialisation and capitalism have overwhelmed and smothered human rights and sanity. Meet Mirii, a young orphan caught in a system that’s hell bent on keeping her down. When she finds unexpected allies, friends and love will it be enough to see her through this nightmarish world? Or is it only the beginning of the troubles she will have to face? Fast-paced, gritty and highly original, it confirms Marlee Jane Ward as one of Australia’s best YA authors. 'This gritty, greasy story is peppered with violence and lit with the slenderest shafts of affection and hope. It will make your jaw clench with fear for the indomitable Mirii Mahoney and your fist punch the air at every tiny victory.' MARGO LANAGAN ‘Punchy, crunchy, sexy and smart, Orphancorp is a sharp shock of a story with bruised-but-not broken characters and a bonsai dystopia you can actually believe in. Marlee Jane Ward is a writer of heart and passion, muscle and slow-burning anger.’ IAN MCDONALD"

Marlee Jane Ward (Author), Tamala Shelton (Narrator)

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Growing Up in Country Australia

"Black Inc.'s bestselling Growing Up series goes to the country Growing Up in Country Australia is a fresh, modern look at country Australia. There are stories of joy, adventure, nostalgia, connection to nature and freedom, but also more grim tales - of drought, fires, mouse plagues and isolation. From the politics of the country school bus to the class divides between locals, from shooting foxes with Dad to giving up meat as an adult, from working on the family farm to selling up and moving to the city, the picture painted is diverse and unexpected. This is country Australia as you've never seen it before. Including nearly forty stories by established and emerging authors from a wide range of backgrounds - including First Nations and new migrants - Growing Up in Country Australia is a unique and revealing snapshot of rural life. Contributors include Holden Sheppard, Laura Jean McKay, Annabel Crabb, Sami Shah, Lech Blaine, Tony Armstrong, Bridie Jabour, Jes Layton, Lily Chan, Jay Carmichael and many others. ‘A colourful and griping pastiche that updates the experience outside Australia’s cities and large regional centres. You will find, despite the absolute variety in these essays, that there is still something ineffable about life in the country.’ RICK MORTON, editor"

Rick Morton (Author), Rebecca Bower, Rick Morton, Tamala Shelton, Various (Narrator)

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A Little Bird: A Novel

"A homecoming snares a young woman in a dangerous tangle of lies, secrets, and bad blood in this gripping novel by the bestselling author of An Accusation. Running from a bad relationship, journalist Jo Sharpe heads home to Arthurville, the drought-stricken town she turned her back on years earlier. While some things have changed—her relationship with her ailing, crotchety father, her new job at the community newspaper—Jo finds that her return has rekindled the grief and uncertainty she experienced during her childhood following the inexplicable disappearance of her mother and baby sister. Returning to Arthurville has its unexpected pleasures, though, as Jo happily reconnects with old friends and makes a few new ones. But she can’t let go of her search for answers to that long-ago mystery. And as she keeps investigating, the splash she’s making begins to ripple outward—far beyond the disappearance of her mother and sister. Jo is determined to dig as deep as it takes to get answers. But it’s not long before she realises that someone among the familiar faces doesn’t want her picking through the debris of the past. And they’ll go to any lengths to silence the little bird before she sings the truth."

Wendy James (Author), Sandy Greenwood, Tamala Shelton (Narrator)

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Dark As Last Night

"Dark as Last Night confirms, once again, that Tony Birch is a master of the short story. These exceptional stories capture the importance of human connection at pivotal moments in our lives, whether those occur because of the loss of a loved one or the uncertainties of childhood. In this collection we witness a young girl struggling to protect her mother from her father’s violence, two teenagers clumsily getting to know one another by way of a shared love of music, and a man mourning the death of his younger brother, while beset by memories and regrets from their past. Throughout this powerful collection, Birch’s concern for the humanity of those who are often marginalised or overlooked shines bright. ‘More like Chekhov than Carver…Birch succeeds in making the unremarkable remarkable, in showing that all lives have their victories, no matter how small.’ THE AUSTRALIAN"

Tony Birch (Author), Gregory J Fryer, Tamala Shelton (Narrator)

Audiobook

Benevolence

"NOMINATED FOR THE MARK & EVETTE MORAN NIB LITERARY AWARD For perhaps the first time in novel form, Benevolence presents an important era in Australia’s history from an Aboriginal perspective. Told through the fictional characterisation of Darug woman Muraging (Mary James), Benevolence is a compelling story of first contact. Born around 1813, Muraging is among the earliest Darug generations to experience the impact of British colonisation – a time of cataclysmic change and violence, but also remarkable survival and resistance. At an early age Muraging is given over to the Parramatta Native School by her Darug father. Fleeing the school in pursuit of love, she embarks on a journey of discovery and a search for a safe place to make her home. Spanning the years 1816–35, Benevolence is set around the Hawkesbury River area, the home of the Darug people, in Parramatta and Sydney. Julie Janson’s intensely visual prose interweaves historical events with detailed characterisation – she shatters stereotypes and gives voice to an Aboriginal experience of early-settlement. 'Janson's writing is evocative...The shame of colonisation is amplified by the proud complexities of the narrative...Muraging's – and Janson's – refusal to perform the victim to voyeurs of trauma is an act of defiance.' SUNDAY AGE 'The gut-truths presented in Benevolence are tied to a larger reckoning needed in Australian society – one that involves a centring of First Nation voices, a willingness to address not just a violent history, but a hostile and violent present.' HAYLEY SCRIVENOR, Mascara Literary Review 'Benevolence is a searing, unforgettable work...this novel is of immense importance' JOY LAWN, Paperbark Words] 'The text’s undulation evokes the ever-changing interactions between settlers and Aboriginal populations following settlement, giving voice to an oft-overlooked Aboriginal perspective.' AUSTRALIAN BOOK REVIEW “Janson’s descriptions are beautifully lyrical...compelling.' SUE TERRY Whispering Gums “How good it is to hear a Darug voice speaking of Darug history.” KATE GRENVILLE"

Julie Janson (Author), Tamala Shelton (Narrator)

Audiobook

Bila Yarrudhanggalangdhuray: River of Dreams

"'There are books you encounter as an adult that you wish you could press into the hands of your younger self. Bila Yarrudhanggalangdhuray is one of those books - a novel that turns Australia's long-mythologised settler history into a raw and resilient heartsong.' - Guardian ***WINNER 2022 NSW PREMIER'S LITERARY AWARD INDIGENOUS WRITER'S PRIZE*** ***2022 ABIA SHORTLIST*** ***2021 ARA HISTORICAL NOVEL PRIZE SHORTLIST*** ***2022 STELLA PRIZE LONGLIST*** ***2022 INDIE BOOK AWARDS LONGLIST*** ***2022 VICTORIAN PREMIER'S LITERARY AWARDS HIGHLY COMMENDED*** Gundagai, 1852 The powerful Murrumbidgee River surges through town leaving death and destruction in its wake. It is a stark reminder that while the river can give life, it can just as easily take it away. Wagadhaany is one of the lucky ones. She survives. But is her life now better than the fate she escaped? Forced to move away from her miyagan, she walks through each day with no trace of dance in her step, her broken heart forever calling her back home to Gundagai. When she meets Wiradyuri stockman Yindyamarra, Wagadhaany's heart slowly begins to heal. But still, she dreams of a better life, away from the degradation of being owned. She longs to set out along the river of her ancestors, in search of lost family and country. Can she find the courage to defy the White man's law? And if she does, will it bring hope ... or heartache? Set on timeless Wiradyuri country, where the life-giving waters of the rivers can make or break dreams, and based on devastating true events, Bila Yarrudhanggalangdhuray (River of Dreams) is an epic story of love, loss and belonging. Praise for Bila Yarrudhanggalangdhuray (River of Dreams) 'Heiss fuses fiction with realism, conjuring a resonance still felt in Blak struggle today ... packs heart into every page.' - Saturday Paper 'Tells a powerful and affecting tale of Aboriginal people's identity, community and deep connection to country.' - Canberra Times 'A profoundly moving showcase of Heiss' skill ... Intimate, reflective, and impossible to put down.' - AU Review 'Engrossing and wonderful storytelling. I really loved these strong, brave Wiradyuri characters.' - Melissa Lucashenko 'A powerful story of family, place and belonging.' - Kate Grenville 'A remarkable story of courage and a love of country ... Anita Heiss writes with heart and energy on every page.' - Tony Birch 'It is a love story, a story of loss, a hopeful story. The river is a guide, but you have to be open to its spiritual lessons.' - Terri Janke 'Anita Heiss is at the height of her storytelling powers in this inspiring, heart-breaking, profound tale.' - Larissa Behrendt 'The novel flows like the great Murrumbidgee River itself, with powerful undercurrents that sweep the reader along - I feel it's a book that all Australians should read, to try and understand why our colonial past still causes so much pain and grievance.' - Kate Forsyth"

Anita Heiss (Author), Tamala Shelton (Narrator)

Audiobook

Audiobooks Narrated by Tamala Shelton