Noble Savage Bookclub: The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao

Negro Speaks of Books acknowledges that this event will take place on the stolen lands of the Wurundjeri people of the Kulin Nations. Sovereignty has never been ceded, nor has a treaty ever been signed. We acknowledge all First Nations people who continue to practice language and culture in the face of ongoing colonialism and cultural genocide. We pay our respects to elders past, present, and emerging.
It is particularly important for settlers of colour, especially black settlers, to reflect on our role in the continued oppression of Indigenous people, and acknowledge our privilege as settlers. When we come together to discuss stories, please remember the rich 50,000+ history of storytelling that continues on these stolen lands.
Support Warriors of the Aboriginal Resistance who are “a collective of young Aboriginal people committed to the cause of decolonization and the philosophy of Aboriginal nationalism – resistance and revival” at https://www.facebook.com/WARcollective/.

Negro Speaks of Books is happy to announce our first POC Bookclub! It is difficult for people of colour to find bookish spaces which we are not alienated from – hopefully this will no longer be the case. This POC bookclub endeavours to be a space in which we can come together and talk about books that are authored By and For Us.

To kick off the book club, we will be reading The Brief, Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Afro-Dominican author, Junot Díaz.
Book description:
“Things have never been easy for Oscar. A ghetto nerd living with his Dominican-American family in New Jersey, he’s disastrously overweight, keeps falling hopelessly in love and dreams of becoming the next Tolkien. Meanwhile his punk sister Lola wants to run away, and his resolute mother Beli can’t seem to let either of them go.
Moving across generations and continents, from Beli’s tragic past in the Dominican Republic to struggles and dreams in suburban America, this is the wondrous story of Oscar, his family and their search for love and belonging.”
CW/TW: there are mentions and/or descriptions of violence, sexual assault, r*pe, and suicide.

Don’t know where to buy the book? Readings, Dymocks, Paperback Bookstore and Hill of Content all stock it for around $20. If you are happy to buy online and wait, then Book Depository is a good option – it always has sales and free shipping that is usually pretty quick.
Negro Speaks of Books has an affiliation with Book Depository. With every purchase made through the affiliate link, NSOB receives a 5% profit, at no extra charge to you. The money from the affiliation will go into continuing the bookclub and purchasing extra copies of books for readers.

It would be greatly appreciated if you make your purchase through this link: https://www.bookdepository.com/The-Brief-Wondrous-Life-of-Oscar-Wao-Junot-Diaz/9781594483592?ref=grid-view&qid=1516178870089&sr=negrospeaksofbooks
or use the general link http://www.bookdepository.com/?a_aid=negrospeaksofbooks

Come through to Afrohub on the 25th of February from 3:00pm onwards – the discussion will start properly from 4:00pm.
There will be also be a black book collection that people are welcome to browse through and read during the time before/after discussion.

Wondering about the next book? It’s the short story collection Common People by Narrm’s own Tony Birch.
Purchase here using NSOB affiliate link https://www.bookdepository.com/Common-People-Tony-Birch/9780702259838?ref=grid-view&qid=1516180671577&sr=negrospeaksofbooks
Or find it at your local bookshop (Readings, Hill of Content, Dymocks for CBD stores).

Looking forward to sharing thoughts. Happy reading!