In writing Pia and the Skyman - the second book in my trilogy of a future dystopian Australia - I was inspired by the continuing inhumane treatment of refugees seeking asylum in Australia and the government's failure to adequately address climate change.
I want readers to grasp what is happening not only in contemporary Australia, but throughout the world with regard to refugees and the ongoing environmental degradation that poses increasing problems for humanity. Last year, the UNHCR reported that the number of displaced persons seeking asylum has topped 60 million worldwide, a figure many find difficult to envisage. By contrasting the manner in which neighbouring countries - Australia and New Zealand - with a similar history of mass immigration deal with these issues, I present choices for the reader that are intended to be disconcerting.
In 'Pia and the Skyman,’ I focus on a tiny population forced to flee their home and the ramifications when a significant percentage are refused asylum due to unacceptable difference. By writing fiction that I believe could easily become fact, I hope to inspire more ‘ordinary’ people to take a stand and work for a more equitable and sustainable world.