Aboriginal Myths

This week in Belgrade will be launched the seventh book by an Australian and a Serbian writer and anthropologist B. Wongar "Aboriginal Myths". B Wongar arrived in Australia in 1960's as a Serbian migrant, and headed for the Northern Territory where he fell in love with Aboriginal people and their culture. He was saved from death in the Tanami Desert by a Warlpiri man, was frogmarched from the country by two Top End thugs, had a manuscript stolen by the Victorian police, and currently lives with two dingos in Gippsland, Victoria. He has published 20 books, and is well known in Amerika and Europe, but virtually unknown in Australia although he received the Emeritus Award for outstanding contribution to Australian Literature, 1997. (among others awards for his literature)

B. Wongar, 30. September 2009, SBS Library Melbourne Source: SBS Serbian

In his unique genre of writing, Wongar portrays the fate of Australian Aborigines which he also links to the state of Australian perishing wildlife. He is best known for his Nuclear Quartet-novels Walg, Karan, Gabo Djara, Raki and Mada which extended the perimeter of creative writing and brought him international recognition. Some of his earlier work have been banned by the Australian Government, thus depriving him of publishing opportunities in Australia and the U.K

Wongar began publishing first in France, Germany and the USA, encouraged by Simone de Beauvoir, Samuel Beckett and many other well known authors. His books are often illustrated by traditional Aboriginal artist Yumanga Burarrwanga of Arnhem Land.

Wongar is a life member of the Australian Atomic Ex-Servicemens Association. He lives with his pack of dingoes on his bush property in Gippsland, south of Melbourne.