The debut novel from much-loved comedian, actress and proud Ydinji woman, Steph Tisdell, is a big-hearted coming of age story. Steph has written an incredible account of the young First Nations person’s experience via her heartbreaking and humorous account of charming protagonist Layla’s final year of high school. She’s known for making us laugh, but Steph’s authenticity, intelligence and sense of social justice make this a truly incredible debut.
Intrigued? Well read on to discover a letter from Steph Tisdell about her new release The Skin I’m In, which is out now from Macmillan Australia.
Hello readers!
Firstly, thank you! Thank you for taking an interest in this book! It’s a little tip toe into topics I’ve always found important and always wanted to explore. In a lot of ways, this book was an opportunity for me to delve into things I needed to reconcile within myself. So, if you’re reading this then I hope it can take you on the similar journey I went through to write it.
Ever since I can remember, I’ve felt as though I walked in two worlds. I spent my youth being passionate about the plight of my people without really knowing exactly what to do. Identity was something I struggled with and I always wondered why. It seemed easy for others. Often, we push down those feelings and we can believe there’s something inherently wrong with us. As I’ve grown up, though, I know it’s not just me. And it’s not unique to my feeling of being in two worlds; it’s a human existential struggle. It’s at the absolute base of humanity: Who am I? Who do I want to be? Am I enough? And there’s no time where we question that more than in adolescence. It’s the time that we stack those questions with broader ones about society and where we fit on the proverbial totem pole out in the real world.
I’ve always yearned for diversity within diversity. There’s a lot of pressure on the shoulders of blackfellas to be representative of all mob in order to fill the gap of ignorance that exists as a side effect of colonisation and marginalisation. The thing is, this way of thinking – seeing people as their race first and foremost – undermines the nuances of it all.
I thought about the stories that we don’t often see in the media, of generational trauma and how it changes people fundamentally in a REAL way. I thought about how policy and disadvantage is something we see written or learn about without ever internalising or applying empathy. And something I’m passionate about: kinship care. I wanted to show that where we grow and how we grow affects us forever. I wanted to show the ways the systems and institutions do little but perpetuate patterns. I wanted to show that the moments that people see as ‘little’ things can become a death of a thousand cuts to a burgeoning identity and sense of self. It’s about resilience and the trauma that comes with finally opening your eyes when you’ve had the privilege to close them for a lot of your life.
It’s growing up, it’s seeing beyond the veneers, it’s an ode to over thinking, self-doubt and the triumph of daring to write your own identity.
This is a fictional story but it’s in the brain of the kind of teenager I was. I hope you find catharsis and nostalgia, but more than anything, I hope you learn and build empathy and understanding.
Please enjoy.
Steph
