Join Mirritya Mundya for this special night of food, poetry and yarns celebrating the local authors Lulu Houdini's ma-li and Aunty Ruth Simms and Lucy Robertson's Muttonfish Magic. Books will be avaiable for signings and purchase on the evening, thanks to Dymocks Nowra. Food and Beverage will be available for purchase.

Muttonfish Magic recounts Aunty Ruth's memories going with her mother and brothers on a day out to the cove near their home, to learn traditional fishing and abalone hunting and cooking methods. After a day on the rocks watching mum work her magic, they return home with a feed for their family.

ma-li is the breathtaking debut poetry collection from Lulu Houdini — a sensual, lyrical vessel carrying the intimate stories and Gamilaraay language of the Blak matriarch in motion.Raw, tender, and defiantly alive, ma-li is a meditation on cultural vibrancy — where the curve of a mango, the cry of the powerful owl, and the imprint of a gumleaf traced on the page, remind us of what makes a heart strong.

Aunty Ruth Simms was born on The Reserve in La Perouse in 1941 as one of nine children. She grew up with a strong connection to both Larpa and Jerrinja cultures. From a young age she learnt about traditional bush foods, language and medicines and went to sleep on ‘goonjarn’ stories (ancient spirit stories). Today, Ruth lives in Nowra with her daughter Trudy and works as an Aboriginal Education Officer (AEO) in local primary schools. She has a Diploma of Education and is passionate about embedding Indigenous perspectives into the curriculum.

Lucy Robertson is a primary school Teacher Librarian and has always been passionate about good stories. She grew up on a vineyard and winery in Mudgee before studying journalism and creative writing, later completing an education degree after a move to the South Coast surfing village of Culburra Beach. When Lucy first started working with Aunty Ruth, she was struck by her beautiful stories of fishing, crabbing and shell work with her family in La Perouse and ‘The Dock’ in Orient Point, eventually convincing her to start writing them down for future generations.

Lulu Houdini is a Gamilaroi poet and midwife. Her work moves through invisibility, memory, resistance, and liminal spaces. Her poetry has been published by Meanjin, Overland, Red Room Poetry, and Wakefield Press. Her debut poetry collection, ma-li, won the 2024 black&write! Fellowship. Her second manuscript, River Page, was a finalist for the 2024 David Unaipon Award. She lives and creates on/with Jerrinja, Wandi Wandandian Country.