Who we are often greatly depends on where we came from both geographically and culturally.
Our personal or familial history gives us a sense of where we are in the present and who we will be in the future. For Professor Sally Morgan being Aboriginal is and has been a source of pride, comfort, creativity and strength, even before she realised that she was Aboriginal herself. The Professor is probably most familiar to many people as the author of the 1987 autobiographical novel My Place, a work that detailed her discovery of her aboriginal heritage and roots.
She is also a talented artist whose works have been displayed in galleries around the globe. As Director of the Centre for Indigenous History and the Arts, Morgan has devoted herself to oral history and art projects which document the history of her extended family and issues relevant to Indigenous people.
My Place holds a unique position in the history of indigenous literature as her bold voice became the voice of her people, telling their painful yet enduring story, and the book’s continued success has only amplified this fact.
Currently Morgan continues to capture the voices and stories of indigenous Australians and her most recent achievement in this endeavour is Speaking from Heart, an anthology of Indigenous writing published this year.
