''Steam Pigs'' is the 1997 debut novel by
Melissa Lucashenko
Melissa Lucashenko is an Indigenous Australian writer of adult literary fiction and literary non-fiction, who has also written novels for teenagers.
In 2013 at The Walkley Awards, she won the "Feature Writing Long (over 4000 words) Award" for ...
. It concerns Sue Wilson, a young
Murri woman, who explores her Indigenous identity while living in
Brisbane
Brisbane ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the states and territories of Australia, Australian state of Queensland, and the list of cities in Australia by population, third-most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a populati ...
.
Reception
A review in ''The Australian Journal of Indigenous Education'' wrote that "''Steam Pigs'' takes us into the world of today's "
untermensch
''Untermensch'' (, ; plural: ''Untermenschen'') is a Nazi term for non- Aryan "inferior people" who were often referred to as "the masses from the East", that is Jews, Roma, and Slavs (mainly ethnic Poles, Serbs, and later also Russians). T ...
" ...",
[ and that it "..is a woman's book set in a very particular place and at a very particular time; but it confronts themes that are eternal and universal.".]Lesbians on the Loose
''Lesbians on the Loose'' (LOTL) was a lesbian magazine published in Australia. It first appeared in Sydney in January 1990. It covered news, politics, social issues, and included celebrity interviews and stories on entertainment, pop culture, st ...
'' review called it "...as unsentimental as it is empathetic.".
''Steam Pigs'' has also been reviewed by the '''', ''Social Alternatives'', ''Australian Literary Studies
''Australian Literary Studies'' is a peer-reviewed academic journal of literary studies, specialising in historical, critical, and theoretical studies of Australian literature. It was established in 1963 by Laurie Hergenhan ( University of Quee ...
'', ''Queensland Review
The ''Queensland Review'' is a peer-reviewed academic journal of Queensland studies published by Equinox Publishing, having been formerly published by Cambridge University Press. It was established in 1994 and publishes articles, interviews and ...
'', and ''Ilha do Desterro''.
An excerpt appears in the ''Macquarie PEN Anthology of Australian Literature''.
Awards
* 1998 Dobbie Literary Award
The Kibble Literary Awards comprise two awards—the Nita B Kibble Literary Award, which recognises the work of an established Australian female writer, and the Dobbie Literary Award, which is for a first published work by a female writer. The Awa ...
winnerCommonwealth Writers' Prize
Commonwealth Foundation presented a number of prizes between 1987 and 2011. The main award was called the Commonwealth Writers' Prize and was composed of two prizes: the Best Book Prize (overall and regional) was awarded from 1987 to 2011; the Bes ...
(South-East Asia and Pacific Region) – shortlist for Best First BookNew South Wales Premier's Literary Awards
The New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards, also known as the NSW Premier's Literary Awards, were first awarded in 1979. They are among the richest literary awards in Australia. Notable prizes include the Christina Stead Prize for Fiction, t ...
shortlist
References
Further reading
*
External links
Library holdings of ''Steam Pigs''
"Re-writing Indigeneity, Questioning Postcoloniality", Maryanne Twomey (2003) - thesis that includes a study of ''Steam Pigs''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Steam Pigs
1997 Australian novels
1997 debut novels
Novels set in Brisbane
Indigenous Australian literature
University of Queensland Press books