Magabala Books

Magabala Books Australia’s leading First Nations publisher based in the remote Kimberley town of Rubibi (Broome) 📚 To this end, Magabala Books was created.

Magabala Books was born out of a traditional song and dance festival held in 1984 that was attended by Aboriginal people from across the Kimberley. Here it was decided that an organisation, firmly rooted in Aboriginal law and culture, be established—the Kimberley Aboriginal Law and Culture Centre (KALACC). KALACC was to be run by Aboriginal leaders and one of its aims was to protect the rights of

traditional storytellers and artists. In 1987, from the pearling town of Rubibi (Broome) in the remote north-west of Western Australia, Magabala Books published its first book. Today we have more than twenty years’ experience in publishing Aboriginal social history, memoirs, autobiography, fiction, young adult, children’s traditional stories and children’s picture books. We are proud to be Australia’s oldest independent Indigenous publishing house.

10/09/2026

Hey! There’s a job going in the Magabala marketing and publicity team and you should apply.

Applications close midnight Sunday 13 Sep.

Link in our bio.

🖤 NEW RELEASES 🖤'The Burden and the Blessing' by Edith Wright: A rare insight into the cosmopolitan hub of Broome during...
09/09/2026

🖤 NEW RELEASES 🖤

'The Burden and the Blessing' by Edith Wright: A rare insight into the cosmopolitan hub of Broome during the heyday of the pearling and boat-building industries. Using eyewitness accounts and archival records, it describes the bombing of Broome in World War II, the impact of leprosy and the Bungarun leprosarium in Derby, and the rapid development of the infrastructure of the north from the perspective of a descendant of a complex legacy.

'Follow the Dream: The Polly Farmer Story' by Kim Farmer and Steve Hawke: Younger readers will enjoy learning some fun, quirky facts and raw football statistics while reading about the Great Polly Farmer. Follow the Dream is the first book in the ‘Legends’ series, introducing big stories for young readers.

Available on our website and in all good bookstores now 📚

We'll be celebrating Edith Wright's 'The Burden and the Blessing' book launch in Derby today (9 Sep) on Nyikina Country ...
09/09/2026

We'll be celebrating Edith Wright's 'The Burden and the Blessing' book launch in Derby today (9 Sep) on Nyikina Country (time has changed to 4.30pm start for those who are coming, doors open at 4pm).

And then on Friday we get to celebrate all over again in Rubibi (Broome)!

If you can't make it, you can grab a copy from our website.

If you're in Naarm / Melbourne this Sunday, come along at 3pm to The Wheeler Centre to see deadly Rachel Bin Salleh, Ani...
03/09/2026

If you're in Naarm / Melbourne this Sunday, come along at 3pm to The Wheeler Centre to see deadly Rachel Bin Salleh, Anita Heiss and Jared Thomas reflect on First Nations publishing and ask what becomes possible when Blak people shape not only the stories on the page, but the future of the industry itself. Hosted by Daniel James.

Free, get tickets here: https://events.humanitix.com/bbwf26-what-this-could-be/tickets

Since 1987, Magabala has been publishing impactful First Nations stories, from 'Dark Emu' by Bruce Pascoe to 'Compassion...
02/09/2026

Since 1987, Magabala has been publishing impactful First Nations stories, from 'Dark Emu' by Bruce Pascoe to 'Compassion' by Julie Janson 📚

This year Radio National is running a poll asking people to vote for their top Aussie books: People can vote for up to 10 different Australian titles.

Let's get some Blak books on this list! Voting closes October 1 2026. The countdown will be broadcast on Radio National over the weekend of October 17-18.

Vote here: https://www.abc.net.au/listen/radionational/countdown/top100books?lid=kq81xx2onog6&utm_source=braze&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=listen_crm_top-100-books_announcement_email_20260831&utm_id=6a94d21142f0d357f1d2e922dfc8526e

We have two exciting Kimberley launches for Edith Wright's book 'The Burden and the Blessing'. Join us in either Derby o...
31/08/2026

We have two exciting Kimberley launches for Edith Wright's book 'The Burden and the Blessing'. Join us in either Derby or Broome (or both).

🖤 Derby: 9 Sep, 3.30pm
🖤 Broome: 11 Sep, 6pm

The book confronts the challenging histories of her Bardi family and the legacy of her two great-grandfathers, Harry Hunter and Adrien D’Antoine, two white men from Europe who came to rule the pearling industry in northwest Australia.

Submissions for AIC Creative Grants are currently open!2 x $10,000 Creative Grants will be awarded to First Nations stor...
28/08/2026

Submissions for AIC Creative Grants are currently open!

2 x $10,000 Creative Grants will be awarded to First Nations storytellers, writers, illustrators and artists.

Magabala Books are proud to partner with Australian Indigenous Coffee (AIC) to offer the AIC Creative Grants. These grants are intended to provide valuable time for Indigenous storytellers, writers, illustrators and artists to work on a current manuscript or illustration portfolio.

Read more: https://bit.ly/4wSsoGC

Congratulations to our Finance Officer (Trainee), Dasia Kitaura, for being a Broome Business Awards Rising Star finalist...
27/08/2026

Congratulations to our Finance Officer (Trainee), Dasia Kitaura, for being a Broome Business Awards Rising Star finalist 🌟

This award recognises emerging leaders and employees, aged 18-30, who show exceptional promise, leadership potential, and make significant contributions to their team or organisation. Dasia is a deadly member of the Magabala team and this recognition is so well deserved!

Magabala is also shortlisted for the Contribution Award, which recognises those who go above and beyond to support community initiatives, charities, or social causes.

Read more: https://bit.ly/4cbtx4N

Magabala staff got into the Book Week spirit today 📚️ Do you think we all nailed the brief? Gene even came up with TWO e...
26/08/2026

Magabala staff got into the Book Week spirit today 📚️ Do you think we all nailed the brief? Gene even came up with TWO exceptional costumes 🍋 🕊️

Featured books:
'Molly the Pirate' by Lorraine Teece and Paul Seden
'Ruby's Web' by Ellen van Neerven
'Gooramindi the Crocodile' by Quinlan Jaffrey and Jade Goodwin
'The Cowboy Frog' by Hylton Laurel
'Lemons in the Chicken Wire' by Alison Whittaker
'Cloudmaker' by Helen Milroy
'Mum's Elephant' by Maureen Jipiyiliya Nampijinpa O’Keefe and Christina Booth
'What I see on Walmajarri Country' by Jimmy Pike and Pat Lowe
'Going for Pippies' by Wilaaran Laurie and Tori-Jay Mordey

Congratulations to Kylie Gatjawarrawuy Mununggurr on being shortlisted in the Children’s / Young Adult category at the 2...
26/08/2026

Congratulations to Kylie Gatjawarrawuy Mununggurr on being shortlisted in the Children’s / Young Adult category at the 2026 NT Book Awards for her book, 'Raymaŋgirrbuy dhäwu When I was a little girl'.

This is a sweetly told story of the author’s experiences with her grandmother. From watching her grinding ochre and painting in the shade of a tree, to hunting for bush honey (guku) and painting cermonial guku designs on their bodies (special permission was given to Kylie to paint this) and doing the guku dance to full-moon night fishing and cooking up a fish feast on the beach.

"I am excited and proud that my book has been shortlisted, I am happy to share my story and pictures with everyone." - Kylie Gatjawarrawuy Mununggurr

Read more: https://bit.ly/4qCdnY5

Address

1 Bagot Street
Broome, WA
6725

Opening Hours

Monday 10am - 4am
Tuesday 10am - 4am
Wednesday 10am - 4am
Thursday 10am - 4am
Friday 10am - 4am

Telephone

+61891921991

Website

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