Proud Publisher Moment

Signing an emerging author for two-book deal

In 2023, I became Publisher At Large of Bundyi Publishing, my own imprint with Simon & Schuster, Australia/NZ.

Bundyi, a Wiradyuri word meaning ‘to share with me’, will focus on cultivating First Nations talent in the industry by publishing First Nations authors, edited and designed by First Nations people. In my role as Publisher at Large, I currently commission across fiction and non-fiction.

I’ve already published Stan Grant, Tasma Walton and Larissa Behrendt, with a few more exciting announcements coming soon.

But this week was all about Judi Morison, and I am so thrilled I can help build a publishing career for an extraordinary storyteller.

THE ANNOUNCEMENT:

Bundyi Publishing is proud to announce the acquisition of world rights to two novels by emerging author, Judi Morison.

Publisher at large, Anita Heiss expressed her excitement, saying, ‘Bundyi Publishing is about firsts! And its my great pleasure to not only acquire Judi Morison’s first novel, Secrets, but her second extraordinary book Crossing the Creek as well.

‘Judi has a gift for storytelling and both novels will speak to a broad readership. Secrets touches on many of the issues we are still grappling with in Australia today, from generations of stolen children to race relations, but this story is largely about how we deal with secrets, particularly within families.’

‘Judi’s second book Crossing the Creek is a historical novel about truth-telling. Motivated by a personal family story, it’s reflective of a narrative that the nation still needs to engage with. I am personally thankful to Judi for the gift of her stories and that we can bring her work to the world.’

Reflecting on writing both novels, Judi shared, ‘Sparked by my concerns about the interrelated issues of racism, trauma, addiction and high incarceration rates, especially of First Nations peoples, Secrets is a family saga about loss and the possibility of healing, while Crossing the Creek, a historical novel inspired by the story of my great-grandparents, is also truth-telling through fiction.’

Judi expressed her enthusiasm for joining Bundyi, saying, ‘I’m also absolutely thrilled to have the good fortune to work with Anita Heiss, for whom I have great respect, both as an author and a person. And I’m confident that both novels are in safe hands with Bundyi.’

Judi Morison is a writer of Gamilaraay and Celtic heritage who currently resides on Gumbaynggirr Country. She completed a Masters in Creative Writing at UTS (2020) and her short fiction has been published in various literary anthologies, including UTS Writers’ Anthology, ACE II and Heroines Anthology. Her historical novel manuscript for Crossing the Creek was shortlisted for the Australian Fiction Prize (2024). Judi has long been involved with the Dreaming Inside project and serves as the Project Leader for South Coast Writers Center’s Emerging Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Writers Mentoring Program.

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Thank you for all your support here and elsewhere.
Anita