Melissa Lucashenko facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Melissa Lucashenko
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Lucashenko for Griffith Review in 2019
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| Born | 1967 (age 57–58) Brisbane, Australia |
| Occupation | Writer |
| Nationality | Australian |
| Genre | Adult literary fiction, literary non-fiction and novels for teenagers |
| Notable works | Too Much Lip |
| Notable awards | Miles Franklin Award |
Melissa Lucashenko is an amazing Indigenous Australian writer. She writes stories for adults and also exciting novels for teenagers.
In 2013, she won a special award called the "Feature Writing Long Award" at the Walkley Awards. This was for her article Sinking Below Sight: Down and Out in Brisbane and Logan. Later, in 2019, she won the famous Miles Franklin Award for her book Too Much Lip.
Contents
About Melissa Lucashenko
Melissa Lucashenko was born in 1967 in Brisbane, Australia. She has a unique background, being both Bundjalung (an Indigenous Australian group) and European (Ukrainian). She studied at Griffith University and finished in 1990.
In 1992, Melissa helped start an important group called Sisters Inside. This group works to support women and girls who are in prison.
Her Journey as a Writer
Melissa has shared that when she started writing seriously, there weren't many Aboriginal voices in Australian books. She felt there was a big gap in stories being told. She wanted to help fill that gap with her own writing.
Early Books and Awards
Melissa's first book was a novel called Steam Pigs, published in 1997. This book won the Dobbie Literary Award for Australian women's fiction. It was also considered for other big awards.
In 1998, she released another novel, Killing Darcy. This book won the Royal Blind Society's Talking Book Award for young readers. It was also a finalist for the Aurealis Award for Best Young Adult Novel.
Her third novel, Hard Yards, came out in 1999. It was also a finalist for several literary awards. In 2002, she published Too Flash, which was written especially for young adults.
Major Successes in Writing
Melissa's fifth novel, Mullumbimby, was a huge success. It won the Deloitte Fiction Book Award in 2013. It also won the Victorian Premier's Literary Award for Indigenous Writing in 2014.
In 2019, her sixth novel, Too Much Lip, won the prestigious Miles Franklin Award. This is one of Australia's most important literary prizes. Judges described the book as a "fearless" story about family challenges, but also full of humor. This novel is even being made into a movie or TV show!
Her seventh novel, Edenglassie, was released in 2023. It also won the Queensland Premier's Award again. In 2024, it won the ARA Historical Novel Prize. Judges praised it for showing the tough parts of history while celebrating Indigenous cultures.
Writing Non-Fiction
Besides novels, Melissa Lucashenko also writes essays. These are non-fiction pieces that explore real-life topics. She won a Walkley Award in 2013 for her long essay Sinking below sight: Down and out in Brisbane and Logan. This essay looked at why some people face poverty.
Personal Life
Melissa has shared stories about her life. She moved with her family back to the Aboriginal lands in New South Wales. This is where her great-grandmother grew up.
Awards and Recognitions
Melissa Lucashenko has won many awards for her writing. Here are some of her major achievements:
- 1997: Steam Pigs won the Dobbie Literary Award.
- 1998: Killing Darcy won the Royal Blind Society's Talking Book Award.
- 2013: "Sinking below sight" won a Walkley Award for Feature Writing.
- 2013: Mullumbimby won the Deloitte Fiction Book Award.
- 2014: Mullumbimby won the Victorian Premier's Literary Award for Indigenous Writing.
- 2019: Too Much Lip won the Miles Franklin Award.
- 2019: Too Much Lip also won the Queensland Premier's Award.
- 2024: Edenglassie won the ARA Historical Novel Prize.
- 2024: Edenglassie won the Queensland Premier's Award (again!).
- 2024: Edenglassie won the Victorian Premier's Literary Award.
