The blurb:
A ground-breaking work—and a call to arms—that exposes the ongoing colonial violence experienced by First Nations people. In this collection of deeply insightful and powerful essays, Chelsea Watego examines the ongoing and daily racism faced by First Nations peoples in so-called Australia. Rather than offer yet another account of ‘the Aboriginal problem', she theorises a strategy for living in a society that has only ever imagined Indigenous peoples as destined to die out. Drawing on her own experiences and observations of the operations of the colony, she exposes the lies that settlers tell about Indigenous people. In refusing such stories, Chelsea narrates her own: fierce, personal, sometimes funny, sometimes anguished. She speaks not of fighting back but of standing her ground against colonialism in academia, in court and in the media. It's a stance that takes its toll on relationships, career prospects and even the body. Yet when told to have hope, Watego's response rings clear: Fuck hope. Be sovereign.
Dr Watego introduces Another Day in the Colony by saying she's not interested in writing for white Australians; the book is by a Blackfulla for Blackfullas, to quote her, and that viewpoint colours the whole book. She's not interested in helping anyone else feel good about themselves or get better at 'sitting with discomfort' etc; it's very much an intense, personal examination of life in Australia from a First Nations point of view.
It's a deeply personal series of essays moving through her life in various educational institutions, health systems, her family, all explaining how she's reached her conclusion of 'fuck hope'. It sounds bleak—but as she explains it, nihilism can be liberating, when you've got nothing left to lose and you're no longer trying to keep some positive expression on your face in the name of hope. It's quite dense—this took some times to read, despite being fairly short, because I didn't want to rush anything; Watego's writing is intense, fast-moving and she covers a lot of ground. It's a bit of a cliche, but essential reading.
Started: 18 January 2026
Finished: 26 January 2026
Part of the 2026 mission to clear Mount TBR
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