Magabala Books

Magabala Books Aboriginal Corporation is a small, independent, not-for-profit publishing house and it is unique because Magabala is a national publishing house based in a very remote area.

Magabala is the Yawuru word for the bush banana. Yawuru is one of the major language groups of Broome. The bush banana is an edible fruit and is common throughout the coastal regions of Northern Australia. If left to dry, the magabala opens up and the seeds are dispersed by the wind, aided by their silken parasols.

Just as the Magabala spreads its seeds, thus Magabala Books, through its quality publications, spreads the seeds of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures.

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. To this end, Magabala Books was created.

In 1987, from the pearling town of Broome in the remote north-west of Western Australia, Magabala Books published its first book. Today we have more than twenty five years of 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.

Magabala Books works in collaboration with Indigenous communities, education specialists, teachers and librarians to develop relevant and engaging literacy materials for all cultures. Magabala only produces books by Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander people. We aim to introduce all children to Indigenous tradition and culture.

If you don't make it all the way to Broome or want to check out our fabulous collection of books before you get here you can look online at www.magabala.com