Women of Colour Australia (WoCA), Australia’s leading not-for-profit organisation advocating for a fairer and more equitable Australia for all women of colour is proud to present the launch of 'Read Between the Lines', a book club dedicated to celebrating the works of First Nations women, women of colour and people from minoritised and racialised communities.

This inaugural event will be held on Women of Colour Day, 1st March 2022. It's the annual commemoration and celebration of the achievements and contributions of women of colour worldwide.

Join us as we discuss THE HATE RACE by multi-award-winning author Maxine Beneba Clarke. Grounded in the Afro-Caribbean tradition of storytelling, this powerfully captivating memoir brings to attention the author's experiences of growing up black in middle class, white Australia. Many elements of this story may be recognisable and relatable to our women of colour readers. THE HATE RACE is an eye-opening and educational exploration of the ostracism and casual racism that many women of colour continue to face in Australia.

About the book

WINNER of the NSW Premier's Literary Award Multicultural NSW Award 2017
Shortlisted for the Victorian Premier's Literary Award for Non-Fiction 2017
Shortlisted for the ABIA Biography Book of the Year 2017
Shortlisted for the Indie Award for Non-Fiction 2017
Shortlisted for the Stella Prize 2017

Against anything I had ever been told was possible, I was turning white. On the surface of my skin, a miracle was quietly brewing . . .

Suburban Australia. Sweltering heat. Three bedroom blonde-brick. Family of five. Beat-up Ford Falcon. Vegemite on toast. Maxine Beneba Clarke's life is just like all the other Aussie kids on her street. Except for this one, glaring, inescapably obvious thing.

From one of Australia's most exciting writers, and the author of the multi-award-winning Foreign Soil, comes The Hate Race: a powerful, funny, and at times devastating memoir about growing up black in white middle-class Australia.

About Maxine Beneba Clarke

Maxine Beneba Clarke is a widely published Australian writer of Afro-Caribbean descent. Maxine's short fiction, non-fiction and poetry have been published in numerous publications including Overland, The Age, Meanjin, The Saturday Paper and The Big Issue. Her critically acclaimed short fiction collection Foreign Soil won the ABIA for Literary Fiction Book of the Year 2015 and the 2015 Indie Book Award for Debut Fiction, and was shortlisted for the Matt Richell Award for New Writing at the 2015 ABIAs and the 2015 Stella Prize. She was also named as one of the Sydney Morning Herald's Best Young Novelists for 2015. Maxine has published three poetry collections including Carrying the World, which won the Victorian Premier's Literary Award for Poetry 2017 and was shortlisted for the Colin Roderick Award. The Hate Race, a memoir about growing up black in Australia won the NSW Premier's Literary Award Multicultural NSW Award 2017 and was shortlisted for an ABIA, an Indie Award, the Victorian Premier's Literary Awards and Stella Prize. The Patchwork Bike, Maxine's first picture book with Van T. Rudd was a CBCA Honour Book for 2017. Her children's books include Wide, Big World, Fashionista and When We Say Black Lives Matter.

Source: Hachette

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FAQS

How much do tickets cost?
Nothing! This event is free but seats are very limited.

Why is it capped at just 20 participants?
To ensure we are able to build a safe space to share our individual stories and have truly meaningful conversations, we decided to cap the event at 20 participants.

Can I come even if I haven’t read the whole book?
Absolutely! You are welcome to join even if you haven’t finished reading the book. On the day, we will not only explore themes from the book but more importantly, hear individual lived experiences as those are the highest form of truth-telling.

Where can I buy the book?
The book is available in most major bookstores but we recommend Amplify Bookstore which features literary work that is as diverse as its readers. They are also our sponsors for this inaugural event.

Where does my donation go?
Your generous contribution helps us host similar events in the future! You directly enable us to create initiatives by and for women of colour that account for the compounding barriers to unlocking and advancing their opportunities both within professional and personal realms. We are a registered charity and we are in the process of securing our DGR status.

Are featured authors just women of colour?
Nope! We will strive to showcase a diverse range of stories to amplify the voices from marginalised communities no matter the demographic.

I can't come to this event, when is the next book club event?
We would love to have you at our next gathering on 4th June 2022. Make sure to sign up for our newsletter so you don't miss anything!

Got more qs? Please feel to email us at hello@womenofcolour.org.au

We acknowledge the Wallumattagal clan of the Darug nation as the Traditional Custodians of the land upon which Women of Colour Australia is situated. We pay our respects to their Elders past and present. We acknowledge and honour the strength and resilience of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women with whom we stand in solidarity. We acknowledge that as settlers on this stolen Aboriginal land, we are beneficiaries of the dispossession, genocide, and ongoing colonial violence against Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. We believe that it is our collective responsibility to help dismantle the structural inequities and systemic barriers oppressing the original inhabitants of this land. We are also painfully aware that this land was taken forcibly, without a Treaty or reparations made. We have taken a practical step towards honouring sovereignty by paying the rent – and we invite you to do so too. This land is and always will be Aboriginal land. Sovereignty was never ceded.

Contact the host of WoCA Book Club - Read Between the Lines featuring Maxine Beneba Clarke

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