WIN a copy of Shallow Breath on the Australia Day book hop!

It’s the Australia Day blog hop!

Last year I wrote a piece for Random House on what Australia Day had come to mean to me. However, this year, I feel increasingly unsettled about where Australia is heading. I’m referring to the plans for coal mining/dredging/dumping around the World Heritage Great Barrier Reef, and small communities trying to fight off the fracking giants. I’m thinking about the WA government’s plans to start killing a protected species, the Great White Shark, because of the perceived threat to beachgoers; and all the battles to save pristine environments ranging from the Kimberley in the northwest reaches of WA to the Tarkine rainforest of Tasmania.

In other arenas, indigenous people are still fighting to be recognised in the Australian Constitution. Not only that, but Australia Day for some is considered Invasion Day for others. After reading Paul Daley’s excellent article in the Guardian on why it might be time to redefine Australia Day, it’s clear that some of its meanings are vastly outdated.

So this year, to win a copy of Shallow Breath (Australian residents only), please leave a comment telling me either what you love about Australia and want to protect, or what you think it’s time to change. And then please keep hopping! You’ll find the full list of participants here, and there are some great prizes to be won.

Thanks to Shelleyrae at Book’d Out for allowing me to be part of this fabulous blog hop. And thank you for dropping by!

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