Book launch shares importance of listening to Elders
The Indigenous Literacy Foundation (ILF) has published ‘Geigi The Stubborn Boy’, a beautifully illustrated children’s book by Torres Strait Islanders Michael and Elliot Passi.
The book shares the importance of listening to Elders, the extraordinary lengths a mother will go to save her son, and a creation story that explains the behaviour of the Giant Trevally and Triggerfish, which can still be seen today in the clear blue waters around Mer, Dauer and Waier.
“The story is an adaptation or retelling of a Traditional Torres Strait story that my grandparents, Aunties and Uncles used to tell me while I was sitting on Zomered village on Mer,” author Michael Passi said.
“While waves were coming in, they would tell me this story. And sometimes you’d even see Geigi coming in and splashing amongst the sardines whilst telling the story.”
For co-author and illustrator Elliot Passi, representation was central to the project.
“I remember growing up with books like How The Butcher Birds Got Their Colours and I love those books. But I wanted there to be more from the Torres Strait Islands,” Elliot said.
“Knowing that a kid who is like me could pick up this book and say ‘Oh, I know this story, this place’ or ‘oh this is the Torres Strait Islands – this is like me’, that fills me with a lot of joy.”
The project marks the first book the pair have published together, combining Michael’s traditional storytelling knowledge with Elliot’s contemporary illustration style.
“This is the first book we have published together, but we’ve written and told stories our whole lives.” Our culture is storytellers,” Elliot added.
ILF Publishing Projects Editor Nea Close-Brown said the story immediately stood out to the team.
“The story is special because it pulls you in. It reveals to the reader knowledge of a far-away place, yet stays with you in moments that chime as familiar – familiar messages about listening to your Elders and what happens when you muck around,” she said.
Beyond celebrating Torres Strait Islander storytelling, Michael hopes the book will introduce more Australians to Torres Strait culture.
“Once we got south of the Queensland border, no one really knew about Torres Strait Islanders, their culture, or anything regarding us,” he said.
“So just having that little seed planted in people’s minds about the second Indigenous culture in Australia is what I want.”
Geigi The Stubborn Boy is a Traditional Torres Strait Islands story published by the ILF. Available now through the ILF online shop https://shop.ilf.org.au/ and all good bookstores.
