Tudei en longtaim

Tudei en longtaim (‘Today and long ago’, or ‘now and then’) is a beautiful reflection by Stella Raymond of Binjari on contemporary life in her community as compared to the life of her ancestors. The book swings between easily recognisable daily life practices like shopping at Woolies or driving in cars with the practices Stella’s ancestors grew up with (walking everywhere and hunting for food). All wonderfully illustrated, Tudei en longtaim is a fun text that also helps children and families think about their lives, their heritage and connects them to the past.

Tudei en longtaim was originally part of Indigenous Literacy Foundation’s 2017 Binjari Buk project (which also produced Moli det bigibigi) and due its popularity is now available to all. Written in Kriol and with English translations on each page, it’s a book that can be enjoyed by Kriol speakers and English speakers alike.

About the author

Stella Raymond lives in Binjari, a small community just outside of Katherine, Northern Territory. Binjari is home to about 200 Aboriginal people who mainly speak Kriol. Stella wrote her book during an Indigenous Literacy Foundation workshop that was facilitated by Denise Angelo, linguist and Kriol literacy consultant, and author and illustrator, Julie Haysom.