Why Magabala Books Is a Pillar of Indigenous Australian Literature

On the north coast of Western Australia, in the city of Broome – or Rubibi – you’ll find one of Australia’s most important publishers. This is Magabala Books, a not-for-profit, fiercely independent publishing house that brings Indigenous voices and stories to a wider audience.

Magabala Books stands as a shining example of the power of literature. Today, we look closer at their story.

Please note: This article contains the names and images of people who have since passed away.

Four Decades of Incredible Work

This story began more than forty years ago, in 1984. A group of Aboriginal Elders and leaders got together at a cultural event in Ngumpan, Western Australia, to discuss how they could protect and reinforce their cultural and intellectual property.

Out of this meeting, the Kimberley Aboriginal Law and Culture Centre (KALACC) was born. Three years later, as a direct result of that gathering, the first seeds of a new publishing house were sown. In 1987, writers and publishers met in Broome, Western Australia – known as Rubibi to the local Yawuru people – and decided to create something that would keep the flame of their shared history and culture burning brightly.

That “something” became Magabala Books – its name taken from the word for bush banana in the Yawaru, Karrajari, and Nyulnyul languages. The magabala also became the company’s logo.

Over the years, many of the luminaries of Indigenous literature have published their work through Magabala. Bruce Pascoe, Alexis Wright, Ali Cobby Eckermann, and Anita Heiss are just a few of the authors who have woven their own words into the publishing house’s rich tapestry.

The Magabala Books Team

At the core of everything Magabala does are its board and management teams. Steve Kinnane is the current Chairperson, along with Deputy Chair Bebe Oliver and Treasurer Josepha Howard. Edie Wright, Lenka Vanderboom, Shaz Davis, Traelyn Aiken, Abby Rose Cox, and Marlee Hutton serve as Directors.

Lilly Brown heads the publishing house’s twenty-strong management team, having become the organisation’s CEO in 2023. Proud of her heritage as a member of eastern Australia’s Gumbaynggirr people, Brown grew up in Broome/Rubibi and is now helping her local publishers reach new and exciting heights.

No stranger to making history, Lilly became the first Aboriginal person to graduate from the University of Cambridge back in 2013, when she earned her master’s degree in education.

Then, aged 27, Lilly said: “I would hope that my success would inspire young Indigenous Australians to chase their dreams, and all young Australians in general.”

She also highlighted the discrimination and prejudice that Indigenous Australians had experienced,  and hoped to “change common perceptions of her ancestors.” Twelve years on, her work with Magabala Books is helping her do exactly that.

Magabala Books’ Mission Continues

Since 1990, Magabala has been registered as an independent Aboriginal corporation, and the organization has been recognized multiple times for the incredible work it continues to do in its field.

The publishing house won the Australian Book Industry’s Small Publisher of the Year award twice – first in 2020, and then again in 2024. In 2020, it also launched the Magabala Fellowship, providing Indigenous authors with support valued at A$10,000. Tristan Michael Savage, Sue McPherson, Charmaine Papertalk Green, Vivienne Cleven, and Brenton McKenna are among the authors who have been awarded the fellowship.

This is in addition to Magabala’s ongoing work as a publisher. To date, Magabala Books has launched an impressive 250 titles, each one reflecting its own stated aim of “restoring, preserving and maintaining Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures.”

And the list keeps growing. Each year, the publishing house releases up to 18 new titles. Many of these works focus on Aboriginal lore and Indigenous histories, but the publishers have a broad scope. Selecting works on merit, the team seeks to reflect the diverse nature of the Aboriginal experience. At the same time, they remain committed to championing the vision of those 500 Elders and leaders who met in Ngumpan back in 1984, without whom, this incredible project simply would not have been possible.

Visiting Magabala Books

Those who find themselves in Broome/Rubibi tend to head straight to Cable Beach – the town’s world-famous strand of white sand that stretches 22 kilometers along the Kimberley coast. But there is real magic to be found inland, particularly where Bagot Street meets Hamersley Street.

This is where you’ll discover Magabala Books. While primarily a publishing house, Magabala is also a bookshop, open between 10 am and 4 pm Monday to Friday. Inside, you’ll find a wealth of titles to explore, along with a friendly and welcoming team ready to greet visitors.

It’s a wonderful way to spend an hour in this part of the world, and it’s an excellent way to support Australia’s leading Indigenous publishing house, a true treasure of the global literary scene.