ILF on the Global Literary Stage

Sharing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Stories, Languages and Cultures with the World

In late May, a team from the Indigenous Literacy Foundation (ILF) travelled to Norway to present the work of the ILF on the global stage. ILF CEO, Ben Bowen travelled from Sydney, Ambassador Jared Thomas from Adelaide and Programs Manager Tictac Moore from Tiwi Islands, to speak at the Freedom of Expression Forum (WEXFO) and the Norwegian Literature Festival. The privilege of speaking at these events followed the honour of winning the 2024 Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award, an internationally recognised award which has opened many doors, furthering the work of the ILF. 

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Centring First Languages and Community-led Literacy

The ILF went to the festivals with one sole purpose: to celebrate and centre Australia’s work in First Languages publishing, bilingual storytelling, and the Community-led literacy journeys of the hundreds of remote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Communities the ILF works with. While it’s vital to share and honour First Nations stories with a global audience, the Indigenous Literacy Foundation’s commitment remains firmly with the Communities they work alongside and as such, no resources were diverted from the core work of the ILF Australia. All travel and participation in this trip was fully supported by the Australian Government through the Australian Cultural Diplomacy Grants Program, along with the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award, WEXFO, and the Norwegian Literature Festival bodies.

A Conversation of Literacy, Diplomacy and Action

At WEXFO, the ILF team participated in a discussion on literacy and its role in democratic processes. This led into a powerful workshop hosted by the DemRead Project, which showcased ILF’s work in literacy development with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander youth. The workshop focused on practical, scalable actions to engage diverse Communities and young people from diverse linguistic backgrounds, highlighting the need for investment in systems and infrastructure that can lift reading outcomes at scale and with lasting impact.

Expanding Global Rights and Storytelling Pathways

Meetings were held with the International Publishers Association (IPA), to explore strategic opportunities for expanding the ILF's global rights program. This initiative aims to spark greater interest among international literary agents, introducing international marketplaces to the ILF’s work, enabling Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander stories, language and cultures to reach audiences around the world. 

A Celebration of Sámi Culture and Shared Values

The Norwegian Literature Festival opened with an incredible performance and modern storytelling concert by Sámi group, Article 3; an all women DJ/VJ collective. Their unique storytelling brought to life the power of culture and language, blending the sounds and sights of Country alongside stories of people tackling challenges new and old as they connect to the identity of a new generation.

This was the beginning of many opportunities throughout the trip to connect with Sámi Peoples from Finland, Norway and Sweden. They came from diverse careers in literature, including authors, educators, translators, language revitalisation experts, librarians, culture experts and academics, and are all deeply invested in their communities and storytelling traditions.

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Shared Stages, Shared Visions

During the Norwegian Literature Festival the ILF spoke at two events in collaboration with the Sámi delegation. The first focused on the power of representation and the work of the ILF with literacy Language and Culture in Australia. The second celebrated linguistically diverse Australia and the power of Language and Culture through Community-led approaches. 

Both events were key to creating what will be an ongoing dialogue with the Sámi delegations and the beginning of establishing an agreed partnership moving forward. It was agreed to collaborate and begin the work of establishing a global network of Indigenous writers and publishers  to support each other, showcasing the power and diversity of Indigenous storytelling, literacy, language and culture to the publishing industry.

The trip concluded with a dinner alongside Norwegian Literature Directors, authors, creatives and Sámi delegates. Based on the strong reception to our sessions, early conversations are now underway to bring ILF back in 2026 to build on these important conversations within the literary sector.

Following the success of the Lillehammer trip, the ILF has received invitations to attend the WIPCE Conference in New Zealand later this year and the Bologna Book Fair in 2026 which focuses on Sámi Storytelling. We’ve also been invited to contribute to the IBBY-UNESCO Collection of Remarkable Books in Indigenous and Endangered Languages, to be launched at the IBBY World forum in Canada 2026. The ILF has also been invited to continue working with the Sámi and Indigenous Canadian Peoples bringing the experiences, languages and cultures from Australia to the international arena.

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Building a Global First Nations Publishing Network

A key outcome of the journey was the identification of the need and potential in the development of a global First Nations Peoples Writers and Publishing network. 

Through collaboration, the power of storytelling and the wisdom embedded in language and culture, there is a real opportunity to create markets around the world to celebrate and foster First Nation storytelling, cultures and languages.

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A Final Word of Thanks

While the ILF remains focused on the Communities we work with across Australia, we also recognise the unique opportunity to connect with other First Nations Peoples around the world, to celebrate excellence, wisdom and a shared future. 

The Indigenous Literacy Foundation is supported by the Australian Government through the Australian Cultural Diplomacy Grants Program. We would also like to acknowledge the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award, WEXFO and the Norwegian Literature Festival bodies for providing us with the direct funding that enabled this journey.