Chantelle Burgoyne

In a sweeping tale that spans 1000 years and multiple generations – from the distant past to the 19th century, the present day and a strange, dystopian future – this landmark collection traces the collective histories of Indigenous peoples across Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific. Diverse in perspective, content and form, traversing the terrain of grief, love and dispossession, they each bear witness to these cultures’ ongoing struggles against patriarchy, colonialism and racism.

Tatau is about Siaki (Jack), an elderly Samoan man struggling to come to terms with the lifelong shame of having an incomplete traditional tattoo and the shame of now losing his sight. As Siaki's vision deteriorates, memories of the painful tattooing ceremony he underwent in his youth haunt him as he yearns to see his tattoo completed before it's too late.

Isabelle feels left behind as her teenaged older sister Tiana grows up, leading to a moment of betrayal that threatens to shatter their relationship forever.