Audience
Writers, editors, publishers who are writing/editing/publishing works of fiction or memoir and want to ensure Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander themes and characters are represented in a culturally safe manner.
Description
What is culturally sensitive editing? What is the meaning of First Nations ‘representation’ and ‘authenticity’, and why are these principles important in fiction? What kind of work do cultural sensitivity editors do with fiction authors, and how can you connect your authors with cultural sensitivity editors who can help them make their books as good as possible?
In this workshop, author and fiction cultural sensitivity editor Angie Faye Martin will present common issues such as tokenism, stereotypes, cultural integrity, narrative voice, language ownership and appropriation of sacred stories, and explore craft-based solutions.
The workshops will also discuss the various reasons why authors seek to include Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander characters, themes and perspectives in their stories, including both the genuine (e.g., an author seeks to accurately reflect the Australian demographic make-up in their cast of characters) and the superficial/harmful (e.g., an author wants to incorporate Dreamtime beings because they find them trendy).
The session will offer opportunities to breakout into small groups and workshop case studies so that participants leave feeling more confidence identifying issues, working with authors and knowing when to refer authors to a specialist cultural sensitivity editor.
Format
- 3hr session
- Online or face-to-face
Class size
- Max. 20 people
Endorsements
Angie is a thoughtful, enthusiastic and engaging presenter whose expertise and investment in the importance of culturally sensitive editing to the Australian literary landscape made this workshop a valuable learning experience for IPEd editors. From explaining what culturally sensitive editing is and what it entails to giving participants the opportunity to work with real examples of fiction manuscripts and brainstorm ways of responding to the issues they raised, and sharing her experience of building positive and supportive relationships with authors seeking specialist cultural sensitivity editing, Angie provided a practical, professional guide to identifying issues around the presentation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander characters and cultures in fiction manuscripts and working with authors in these areas. Highly recommended!
Kerrie Le Lievre, IPEd Professional Editor
I completed Angie Faye Martin’s course First Nations Representation in Fiction in March 2025 and I can’t highly enough recommend it to publishers, editors and writers. Angie’s expertise and insight are matched by her compassion and engagement. I saw her respond to questions at all levels with equal care and diligence. The course is cleverly formatted, with both information segments and break-outs for case studies that support the learning really well. Whether you’re after an essential grounding in inclusive writing or just a bit more confidence addressing an author’s oversight or unconscious bias, this course will give it to you.
Kate O’Donnell, Book Editor
For further information, please contact: angie@versedwritings.com