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Praise for Born into This

“[Born into This is] a potent collection by an author who mined the richness of both his ancestry, his work within the Aboriginal community and his island home for tales about black and white relations, colonialism, class friction, racism and the despoilment of heritage and environment… With its wit, intelligence and restless exploration of the parameters of race and place, Thompson’s debut collection is a welcome addition to the canon of Indigenous Australian writers.”

—Thuy On, The Guardian

“[A] riveting debut collection. Stories of brutal weather and angry bees, urban protests and remote islands, trace the tether between Tasmanian Aboriginal people and their ancestral lands. Thompson’s strengths are in his exquisite descriptions of nature, as well as his memorable voice.”

—Publishers Weekly

“A short story collection reminiscent of the work of Black American author Edward P. Jones… These stories are touching precisely because they are so familiar. That they tell the stories of people from Australia makes no difference. People realize the need to find ways to reclaim their histories. Through agriculture, by storytelling, through activism, and most importantly by living free lives. Thompson shows us how artfully.”

—Donna Ledbetter, Short Story Book Club

“The Tasmanian landscape and a whole host of engaging, charming and well drawn characters populate the stories that make up Born Into This… a wonderful reminder that there is no monolithic Aboriginal Australian… a thought provoking collection, and hopefully a conversation provoking collection too.”

—Simon Clark, The AU Review

“Born Into This includes a range of stories that highlight the racism and oppression that many different First Nations people face in our current day, while also making the reader pause and think about the reality of these fictional stories… It is a stunning collection from a talented and compelling debut author. Thompson has given Australia a new voice to listen to and learn from in 2021.”

—Lauren Pratt, Underground Writers

“Some stories are morbidly comic while others cut deep, conveying the absurdity and despair of Indigenous experiences of settler-colonialism across Tasmania.”

—Tristen Harwood, The Saturday Paper

“This collection of Indigenous resistance, triumph and joy stands alongside millions of stories throughout this country, first spoken, then written, since time immemorial.”

—Raveena Grover, Kill your Darlings

“This remarkable debut crackles with wit and rage — as entertaining and affecting as it is thought-provoking.”

—Stella Charls, Readings

“A new collection of short stories addresses the universal themes of identity, racism and heritage destruction.”

—Dana Anderson, The Examiner

“With Born into This, Adam Thompson’s stories of present-day Tasmania provide a powerful response to trauma that dates from the horrors of the Black War and continues with ongoing ‘celebrations’ of Australia/Invasion Day. The author has much to say.”

—Anthony Lynch, Australian Book Review