The Belburd is a powerful story that shows us we are all connected from before we began to long after we begin again. Join acclaimed Yuwaalaraay storyteller and performer Nardi Simpson as she launches her brilliant new novel, in conversation with fellow author Ailsa Piper.

Ginny Dilboong is a young poet, fierce and deadly. She's making sense of the world and her place in it, grappling with love, family, and the spaces in which to create her art. Like powerful women before her, Ginny hugs the edges of waterways, and though she is a daughter of Country, the place that shapes her is not hers. Determined and brave, Ginny seeks to protect the truth of others while learning her own. The question is how? And, all the while, others are watching. Some old, some new. They are the sound of the belburd as it echoes through the world; the sound of cars and trucks and trains. They are in trees and paper and the shape of ideas. They are the builder and the built. Everything, even Ginny, is because of them.

This event is presented by Waverley Council and Gertrude and Alice Bookstore Cafe. With thanks to Hachette.

Main image photo credit: Lucy Simpson

Nardi Simpson is a Yuwaalaraay storyteller and performer living in Sydney. Training as a musician, Nardi began her artistic journey as a songwriter and performer with vocal duo Stiff Gins. Her first novel Song of the Crocodile won the 2021 ASAL Gold Medal and was long listed for the 2021 Stella Prize and Miles Franklin Awards. Nardi continues to perform with Stiff Gins, works with student ensembles and directs cross-cultural choir Barayagal at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music. She is also currently undertaking a PhD with the ANU School of Music. 

Ailsa Piper has worked with words her whole life – as a writer, director, actor, teacher, speaker, audiobook narrator and broadcaster. Her latest book, For Life, is a celebration of the art of moving forward, staring down grief to hear the natural world calling to her.

Skip the queue
Prepurchase your copy of The Belburd when booking your ticket and receive a discount on the recommended retail price of the book. Orders will be available for collection at the venue from the team at Gertrude & Alice Bookstore pop-up. Discount only applies to pre-purchased books, bought as part of the book bundle. Nardi Simpson will be signing books after the talk.

Event information
Refreshments will be available from the Theatre Bar from 5.45pm.
Tickets are General Admission. Seats are not allocated.
To book accessible seating, please complete the Accessibility Requirements section when registering for your ticket.