Claire Coleman has a masterful understanding of the many layers of identity – both personal and communal. She describes herself as “a person with an uncommon gift for being able to see beyond her skin colour or race to appreciate the myriad facets of her true self”. Claire G. Coleman is an Australian author and poet, whose new book, Terra Nullius, won the prestigious Norma K. Hemming Prize. In her debut novel, Coleman was awarded the prestigious State Library of Queensland’s 2021 coveted black&white!
In this book, Coleman tackles some complicated topics like race and nationality, as well as being refreshingly open about topics related to her own identity – height, age, class and nationality. A main theme of the book is identity – people come in all sorts of shapes and sizes, and some are better at some things than others, such as being taller or lighter than other people. Coleman uses her own experience of growing taller in her novel to take us inside the head of a woman who is undergoing this transition as a result of family immigration. In doing so, she also tackles issues that exist in the broader societal context of race and nationality. Coleman is refreshingly open about her own identity and the issues that exist around it; she is funny and poignant in her writing, and is definitely an expert on topics concerning race and nationalities.
In discussing the subject of race and nationality in regards to the question of being tall or short, Coleman draws attention to the increasing divide between Western and Eastern cultures, and the resulting tension – and some confusion – between the two. For those who are not familiar with her work, Coleman brings engaging, light-hearted entertainment to the discussion with her witty and wise character’s observations. In sum, this debut novel is an admirable primer on a topic that has become increasingly important to society, as our world becomes more globalised. Those readers who enjoy good literature will enjoy this lively little volume – a good read for any age.