Old Barn Books scoops Fuller's 'powerful' debut

Old Old Barn Books will publish author Lisa Fuller's "powerful" YA debut Ghost Bird in the UK.

Ruth Huddleston, publisher, acquired UK and Commonwealth rights, excluding Canada and Australia and New Zealand, from the University of Queensland Press rights manager Kate McCormack. UK publication is scheduled for 21st October 2021. 

Fuller's debut won the David Unaipon Award for an Unpublished Indigenous Writer in 2017, the Queensland Literary Award for a Young Adult Book, the Readings Prize for a Young Adult Book and the ACT Book of the Year.

Huddleston said: "I knew Ghost Bird had attracted prizes and praise from people I respected in Australia, but it was only when I received the manuscript that I realised how strongly Lisa's powerful writing was rooted in her community. This novel had me gripped. It vividly portrays teens battling to reconcile the prejudices and demands of very different cultures and will open a window onto a world we know very little about here in the UK. The voice of a First Nations Australian author has been missing from the Old Barn Books growing list of Australian fiction and I'm so excited to be able to bring Lisa's writing to a UK audience."

Fuller commented: "I am beyond thrilled that my debut novel, Ghost Bird, will be published in the UK by Old Barn Books! When an Aboriginal teen goes missing, her twin sister must hunt for clues, face down deeply ingrained racism, as well as social and cultural taboos to find the truth. Based in my hometown of Eidsvold, Ghost Bird is centred around my community, our culture and our spiritual beliefs. The events and (most) of the characters are fictional, and yet writing this story has been a very personal journey. I hope readers see not just the hardships, the painful history and the hidden truths, but also the connection and joy to be found in culture, country, community and family. Our beliefs are not myths, we are not history, we are real people with the strength to survive anything, together."