Mykaela Saunder’s new anthology, This All Come Back Now, an anthology of first nations speculative fiction is a deeply profound and beautiful collection of shorts by some of Australia’s finest First Nations writers.
The first of its kind, This All Come Back Now is written, curated, edited, and designed by blackfellas for blackfellas. The anthology feels more timely than ever, giving voice to a new generation, and sharing the original breath that fills the lungs of Australia. With contributions from twenty-two new, emerging, and established First Nations writers across Australia, the anthology takes us on a diverse and mesmerizing ride, from a ghostly tale in Muyum, A Transgression, by Evelyn Araluen (winner of the 2022 Stella Award for Dropbear) to transfixing us with Water by Ellen van Neerven, a powerful story that considers the treatment of Indigenous people in a dystopian futuristic Australia, the stories dazzle as much as they unsettle.
Saunders likens This all Come Back Now to a mix tape, “to think of this book as a burnt CD from me to you, a way for me to sample new worlds, a mishmash of styles gathered together that speak to similar themes, and an opportunity to find exciting writers you might not have otherwise come across.”
Happy: Hey Mykaela, thanks for chatting with us. What are you up to today?
Mykaela: I’m catching up on emails, working on some commissions, and preparing for some upcoming interviews.
Happy: Describe your average workday?
Mykaela: At the moment, I’m on book tour, so most of my labour is about talking on panels and doing readings, or else preparing to do this work. There’s not a lot of actual writing getting done.
Happy: What about your ultimate day?
Mykaela: My ultimate day would be to get up early after a good sleep, go for a run or swim, and write all morning, working on my different projects. Then I’d read all arvo. There would be absolutely no emails or phone calls or meetings or talking with anyone.
Happy: If we paid you $500,000 for this interview what would you do with the money?
Mykaela: House deposit for sure. And a big holiday with my loved ones.
Happy: Which book are you currently reading?
Mykaela: I’ve always got a few on the go at once. Right now it’s Portable Curiosities by Julie Koh, Tarcutta Wake by Josephine Rowe, Ghost Bird by Lisa Fuller, The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrisson and Still Standing by Denny Meek.
Happy: What did you read or watch growing up that fuelled your passion for storytelling?
Mykaela: It was mostly the people around me that fed my love of stories. All of my relatives are great at spinning yarns and I always wanted to have that gift too.
Happy: Which book did you last read that opened your eyes and mind to a new perspective?
Mykaela: Every book I read does this to some extent. Being inside the mind of another writer naturally opens yours up too.
Happy: Which book do you keep coming back to?
Mykaela: Carpentaria by Alexis Wright. It’s rich for many re-reads.
Happy: Is there a book that you consider a must-read that imparts valuable life lessons?
Mykaela: Most Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander writing – especially if it’s grounded in the collective and communal – often has wisdom for living well with others.
Happy: If you had a first date book list, what would it be?
Mykaela: I don’t want to be prescriptive because my people are not big readers, so I think it’s great when people read anything – but at a minimum, I would need them to engage with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander stories.
