Ways of Being Here

Viv Glance

Some of you may remember Rafeif Ismail as the candidate for Mirrabooka in the 2017 State election, and before that as a candidate on the 2016 Federal Senate ticket. Not only is this young woman politically active while studying for a Bachelor of Science degree (Psychology and Addiction Studies), but over the past year she can add 'published author to her list of achievements. 

Her short story 'Light at the End appears in the collection, 'Ways of Being Here [ http://margaretriverpress.com/shop/fiction/ways-of-being-here/ ], published by Margaret River Press earlier this year. Featuring Rafeif and other emerging African-Australian writers, Yirga Gelaw Woldeyes, Tinashe Jakwa and Yuot Alaak, this book has received attention and praise, and the writers were invited to appear on panels to discuss their work at the Perth Writers Festival, a live and local panel as part of the Sydney Writers Festival, and at the Centre for Stories in Aberdeen Street, our local and very active hub for writing and books.

Award-winning author, Maxine Beneba Clarke, notes that greater diversity in Australian literature is long overdue. In the foreword to 'Ways of Being Here, she writes,

'Black people of African descent… have been living in Australia for over 200 years. Yet local African diaspora fiction has been markedly absent from Australian shelves. In an own voices sense, African Australia has long been invisible from Australian fiction.

Rafeifs publishing success is made even more special because she only leant English at the age of twelve, when she arrived in Perth as a refugee, after her family had fled from the oppressive Sudanese Islamic government three years earlier. I spoke to her recently about writing, politics and how art can help change lives.

Rafeif grew up speaking and writing Arabic, but during an intensive English course, speaking and writing her first language was discouraged. Apart from its resonance with Australias history of eradicating its First Peoples languages, this demand created an additional burden on top of the existing trauma of being a refugee fleeing oppression.

It is recognised that language can be a marker of identity, and even speaking with particular phrases, accents, and colloquial terms can affirm and maintain a sense of well-being and self-esteem. Australias First People strongly identity through language, and the tribal name is often the same as the language name, with cultural knowledge, law, and stories being passed on through language. The Australian Governments House Standing Committee on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs report (2012) states,

'There is a wealth of evidence that supports the positive associations of health, education and employment outcomes as well as general wellbeing with language and culture. Indigenous languages keep people connected to culture and this strengthens feelings of pride and self worth.

As much as language is central to Australias First peoples, it is also important for the well-being of recent arrivals to Australia. However, this is not always recognised, and pressure is often put on immigrants or refugees to speak English as quickly as possible.

Because of her early experiences, Rafeif feels that code-shifting is now her first language, a way of thinking, speaking and writing that is a mixture of both English and Arabic. Through these experiences, she is very aware of how language and identity are intimately linked. She has also experienced how native English speakers may unconsciously make judgments based on a migrants language fluency and accent and even perceive them as less intelligent or to have lower expectations of them.

But publication has given her greater confidence in her writing, empowering her to further develop her work and look for future publishing opportunities. A recent trip to the Melbourne Writers Festival was a wonderful chance for her to meet other writers of colour and to join a national network for support and mentoring. A highlight was an invitation to a lunch with many black writers, including Maxine Beneba Clarke.

Beneba Clarke is one of Rafeifs favourite authors, along with Junot Diaz and Nalo Hopkinson, and Rafeif was so excited that she endorsed 'Ways of Being Here. Other writers and critics have praise for the publication. A WritingWA review [ https://www.writingwa.org/booksreviewed/2017-reviews/ ] states,

'This is a powerful collection of stories that speak of loss, of family and belonging, of identity, of memory, of horrendous acts of brutality and small acts of kindness. Each one is bold, brave, disturbing, and above all beautifully written, and each will reward re-reading.

Samaya Borom for 'Right Now – Human Rights in Australia [ http://rightnow.org.au/authors/samaya-borom/ ], writes

'Inclusivity within communities is definitely a theme running through all the stories, each highlighting the issue of acceptance in their own poignant way. In Rafeif Ismails piece, 'Light at the End, she notes “You were born to deserts and rushing rivers. Summer is in your soul, in your bones, buried deep beneath inches of ice and cement. From the moment you arrive, youve been too much and not enough.”

For me, Rafeifs story, 'Light at the End, has an emotional depth and poetic intensity that displays her authentic voice and unique style of prose, something she hopes to also develop through her writing for performance. She was involved in a theatre production in 2016 that came out of workshops with young migrants, titled 'Journeys to Here. It featured twenty young people from thirteen countries who between them spoke twenty-five languages, and who told the stories of how they came to Australia. Even though it took place on World Refugee Day, one week before the Federal election, Rafeif very much appreciated that Senator Rachel Siewert made the time to attend.

Greens across the country have been working hard to engage with culturally and linguistically diverse communities (CaLD), and Rafeif has been very active here in WA, beyond her work as a candidate at election time.

'Its essential we maintain our connection with communities, including putting political messages into other languages between elections, Rafeif said, noting that many young CaLD people want to learn how to campaign and fully participate in society. She explains that a sustained engagement will build confidence within a migrant community, and that will encourage them to approach politicians for help at any time. Many migrants had feared politicians in their home countries where dissent could be dangerous, even life-threatening.

'These fears will take time to overcome, she said, 'but by being there, being consistent, the Greens can alleviate their worries.

One of the most powerful motivations for Rafeif to continue writing is so she can create stories with characters that are like the people she knows and meets in her community every day.

'When I was growing up here, I didnt see any characters with my struggles and concerns on TV or in films, or read about them in books.

'Ways of Being Here is the result of her drive and passion, and the work of all four of these authors is an important contribution to the diversity of literature in Australia.

Header photo: Campaign photo of Rafeif Ismail for the 2017 WA election.