In this lively, engaging discussion Aaron and Michelle will discuss their co-written novel for middle grade readers, Spirit of the Crocodile. They’ll talk about why they wrote it, how they wrote it (given that they live 5000kms apart) and why stories like theirs are an important part of Australia’s reconciliation process.

A recent ABC Radio review of the book said: “This is technically a middle-grade novel but if you ask me I think Spirit of the Crocodile is a book for everyone. Kids will love it because it’s funny, relatable and full of adventure. But adults – like teachers, parents and policy-makers – need to read this too. This book is a wake-up call. It shows us what climate change looks like right now: not in graphs or reports but through the heartbreak of a child watching his island disappear. It’s also a celebration of Torres Strait Islander culture – of kinship, community and resilience. For readers unfamiliar with these stories it’s an invitation to listen, to learn and to stand in solidarity with them. And for readers who are from this community, it’s a mirror that says we see you and your stories matter.” Mara Mahoney, Yapese-Fijian Reviewer, Radio Australia (Review begins at 1:42:42)”

Aaron Fa’Aoso is a proud Torres Strait Islander film producer, director, screenwriter and actor. While well known for his roles in East West 101, The Straits and Black Comedy, and as the presenter of Strait to the Plate, young fans know him best as the voice of Old Dog, in Little J and Big Cuz.

In 2022 Aaron published his memoir, called So Far So Good. He is on the board of SBS and of Screen Queensland, and was the proud co-chair of Queensland’s Interim Truth and Treaty Body. Aaron is the founder of film and television production company, Lone Star, whose many outputs include the documentary series Blue Water Empire, about the history of the Torres Strait Islands.

Michelle Scott Tucker is the author of Elizabeth Macarthur: A Life at the Edge of the World – a biography of the woman who established the Australian wool industry (although her husband received all the credit). Elizabeth Macarthur was shortlisted for the 2019 NSW State Library Ashurst Business Literature Prize and the 2019 CHASS Australia Book Prize. Michelle is the co-writer of Aaron Fa’Aoso’s memoir So Far, So Good. She is currently working on a biography of Louisa Lawson, to be released in 2027.