Aboriginal Literacy Foundation

07/09/2026

The Aboriginal Literacy Foundation is currently seeking donations of children's books in good second-hand or new condition for remote and regional schools in Australia's north. If you would like to made a donation or hold a book drive, please get in touch. Guidelines and contact details can be found below. https://shorturl.at/O5oZP

31/08/2026

Did you know that Dolly Parton's Imagination Library operates in Australia, and often includes Indigenous authors and books in its selection? You can read more about the positive effect she had in Australia in this article.

Dolly Parton was known best for her songwriting skills but her tireless work to improve child literacy will leave a lasting legacy.

26/08/2026

This week is Children's Book Week 2026! It's now half-way through, and we've seen some great costumes at events across schools in Australia. Has your community done anything special to celebrate reading?

19/08/2026

As the Aboriginal Literacy Foundation awaits entries for our 2026 Poetry Competition, here's a throwback to our first winner in 2022, 'Gija Country Rap' by the Nawarrarram class of Purnululu Independent School!

The ALF awards money to the winning school and students, and we have had many great entries since the competition started. Watch this space to see other past winners and which students will win this year!

28/07/2026

We at the ALF would like to thank all of our supporters for their donations and contributions for this year's end of financial year campaign.

It's through your support that we can continue our programs providing young Indigenous people with tutoring, books and other assistance.

22/06/2026

Some words from long-time friend Auntie Ann about the need for children to read, and the importance of tutoring for young Aboriginal people.

You can donate to the Aboriginal Literacy Foundation's End of Financial Year appeal, which is focusing on providing books to schools across Australia, using the link below.

https://aboriginalliteracyfoundation.org/EOFY26/

17/06/2026

The Winter 2026 edition of the Aboriginal Literacy Foundation's newsletter, ALFABET, is now available online.

See inside for news about our programs, including Books to the North and our after-school tutoring.

You can view the digital copy of the newsletter here:

https://aboriginalliteracyfoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Winter_Newsletter_2026_Low_Resolution.pdf

15/06/2026

We would like to thank the City of Ballarat for their generous contribution toward our Literacy Tutoring for Aboriginal students in Ballarat. Through a Community Impact Grant we received a contribution to our tutoring program, which greatly benefits the students we tutor every week during the school term.

10/06/2026

A state funeral will be held for Professor Peter Buckskin, a Narungga man from the Yorke Peninsula of South Australia who spent his life improving educational standards for Indigenous people, first as a teacher and then as a professor and advisor for Australian policy and teaching methods.

Among many achievements spanning more than forty years, he was the inaugural chair of the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education Corporation, as well as representing Australia to the United Nations on matters of Indigenous rights.

The funeral will be held on June 12 at St Francis of Assisi Catholic Church, Newton, South Australia.

A state funeral to honour the life and achievements of Professor Peter Buckskin AM PSM will be held at 10:30am on Friday 12 June 2026 at St Francis of Assisi Catholic Church, Kaurna Country, Newton.

28/05/2026

This year's Australian Book Industry Awards have seen many Aboriginal winners, as well as an Indigenous-run publisher.

Of the winners this year, Angie Faye Martin won the New Writer of the Year for her crime thriller Melaleuca, while the oral history A Piece of Red Cloth won the award for Social Impact Book of the Year, by Yolŋu custodians Merrkiyawuy Ganambarr-Stubbs, Djawa Burarrwanga, Djawundil Maymura and author Leonie Norrington.

Other winners were Dr Evelyn Araluen for Small Publishers' Adult Book of the Year with The Rot; and Kaylene Whiskey and Natalie King for Illustrated Book of the Year with The Art of Kaylene Whiskey: Do you believe in love?

The winner for the Book of the Year for Younger Children was Caution! This Book Contains Deadly Reptiles, by Ben Williams and Corey Tutt.

Small Publisher of the Year and Children's Publisher of the Year also went to Magabala books, based in Broome, which focuses on Indigenous and Torres Strait Islander authors and illustrators.

Congratulations to everyone who won awards this year!

Indigenous authors and publishers are prominent among those who were honoured on Thursday night at the 2026 Australian Book Industry Awards.The Awards were presented by Books+Publishing (B+P), in part...