Black Chicks Talking

Leah Purcell features in this series of interviews with Aboriginal women making their mark on the Australian political and cultural landscape.

In Black Chicks Talking nine young Aboriginal women, successful in a variety of professions, tell their stories to Leah Purcell. These are diverse stories from women of surprisingly different backgrounds. Some have achieved success in the white fella s world; others are working to improve life within Aboriginal communities or maintain indigenous traditions increasingly under siege.

The book is a journey of discovery for both interviewer and subject, as Leah and the other women explore their backgrounds, aspirations, passions, spirituality and their own place in Australia. Portraits of the women by renowned painter Robert Hannaford will be a feature of the book.

Black Chicks Talking is set to rout the old stereotypes and showcase some of the young black women who are putting their stamp on the Australian cultural and political landscape. Their stories are at once uplifting and deeply moving, some a timely reminder that the wrongs of the past cast a wide shadow.

The chicks are: Kathryn Hay (former Miss Australia), Cilla Malone (community worker), Frances Rings (dancer), Deborah Mailman (actor), Sharon Finnan (netballer), Rachel Perkins (film maker), Tammy Williams (youth affairs spokesperson), Rosanna Angus (tour guide), Liza Fraser-Gooda (marketing manager) and Leah Purcell, whose story and opinions are interwoven with those of her subjects.