Bundyi Publishing – Anita Heiss’s new imprint at Simon & Schuster Australia dedicated to First Nations writing – is delighted to announce its first acquisition of the world rights to: I Am Nan’nert’garrook, a work of historical fiction by author and actor Tasma Walton.

Says Tasma: ‘I am thrilled and excited to have the opportunity to work with the extraordinary Anita Heiss as the first author signed to Bundyi, the new First Nations imprint at Simon & Schuster.

‘I Am Nan’nert’garrook is a powerful historical story inspired by the true events of my ancestor’s abduction by sealers from coastal Melbourne. Sold in a slave market on the islands off Tasmania, she was transported by her captor over 3000 kilometres away from her Homelands, never to return.’

Says Anita: ‘As publisher of Bundyi Publishing, I am incredibly proud that my first acquisition is Tasma’s brilliant novel. Her family story has national significance and the lyrical way in which she writes about devastating events and life during the colonial period will put her novel in the literary league of The Secret River and Carpentaria.'

‘In my vision for Bundyi I wanted a strong work to establish my list and be a game changer in Australian publishing. I know I Am Nan’nert’garrook will be just that, focussing on truth-telling in this country, it will ask: “Who were the real savages?”

‘To be able to work with Tasma, a proud Boonwurrung woman from the saltwater Country of Melbourne and surrounding coastlines, in bringing this story to readers is a privilege and a responsibility I take very seriously.’

I Am Nan’nert’garrook will be published in the first half of 2025.

About Tasma

Tasma Walton as an award-winning actress, has most recently garnered recognition for her acclaimed role of Mary Swan in the highly regarded Mystery Road television and film franchise. As a writer, Tasma has worked in various writer’s rooms and workshops in the development stage of many films, television, and theatre. Her first novel Heartless was nominated for an ABIA Award for General Fiction.