Terra Nullius: a novel

“So smart, unexpected, and surprising. . . . Incredibly moving.”—Hugh Jackman

“Deftly twists expectations.”—NPR Best Books of the Year

Jacky was running. There was no thought in his head, only an intense drive to run. There was no sense he was getting anywhere, no plan, no destination, no future. All he had was a sense of what was behind, what he was running from.

The Natives of the Colony are restless. The Settlers are eager to bring peace and they have a plan. They will tear Native families apart and provide re-education to those who do not understand why they should submit. Peace and prosperity are worth any price, but who will pay it? This rich land, Australia, will provide for all if only the Natives can learn their place. Jacky has escaped the Home where the Settlers sent him, but where will he go? The Head of the Department for the Protection of Natives, known to Settlers and Natives alike as the Devil, is chasing Jacky. And when the Devil catches him, Sister Bagra, who knows her duty to the ungodly, will be waiting for Jacky back at Home.

This is not Australia as we know it. This is not Australia of our history books. This Terra Nullius—shortlisted for the Stella Prize and Highly Commended for the Victorian Premiers Literary Awards—is something new, but all too familiar.

“What Claire G. Coleman does with the theme of colonialism is something the like of which I haven’t seen before, something that only speculative fiction can do.'”—Vandana Singh (Ambiguity Machines)

“The devastation of colonisation and displacement is explored with originality, compassion and insight.”—State Library of Queensland Dublin Literary Award Nomination

Claire G. Coleman is a Noongar writer, born in Western Australia, and now based in Naarm. Her family have been from the area around Ravensthorpe and Hopetoun on the south coast of WA since before time started being recorded. Coleman's other books include the novels The Old Lie and Enclave and the acclaimed nonfiction Lies Damned Lies.