Homeland Calling

Homeland Calling is a collection of poems created from hip-hop song lyrics that channel culture and challenge stereotypes. Written by First Nations youth from communities all around Australia, the powerful words display a maturity beyond their years. Edited by award-winning author and poet Ellen van Neerven, and brought to you by Desert Pea Media, the verses in this book are the result of young artists exploring their place in the world, expressing the future they want for themselves and their communities. These young people are the future, and their passion for their culture, languages and homelands is beyond inspiring.

Check out many of the original songs and music videos on Spotify or YouTube.

All royalties from the sale of the book will go towards Desert Pea Media’s training and development programs in Indigenous communities.

Artwork by Gamilaroi Yuwaalaraay artist Lakkari Pitt.

About the Author

Ellen van Neerven is an award-winning writer and editor of Mununjali Yugambeh heritage from south-east Queensland. Ellen's fictional debut Heat and Light (UQP, 2014) was the recipient of the David Unaipon Award, the Dobbie Literary Award and the NSW Premier's Literary Awards Indigenous Writers Prize. Ellen is also the author of two volumes of poetry, Comfort Food (UQP, 2016) and Throat (UQP, 2020).