Top 5 books about the Australian immigrant experience, chosen by Michelle de Kretser

Oh Lucky Country by Rosa Cappiello

Immigrating in huge numbers post-war, southern Europeans transformed Australia. This compelling novel is a fierce take on Anglo-Australian society and its prejudices.  

Heddy and Me by Susan Varga

Heddy was a Hungarian Holocaust survivor. This memoir by her daughter explores the impact of her mother’s experiences on their relationship. 

Love and Vertigo by Hsu-Ming Teo

This insightful and moving novel describes generational differences and parental expectations in an immigrant family of Malaysian and Chinese heritage. 

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The Tribe by Michael Mohammed Ahmad

The Lebanese community of south-western Sydney is often targeted by a blatantly Islamophobic media. This frank novella, from a child’s point of view, counters that prejudice with an insider’s account of a Lebanese family. 

The Permanent Resident by Roanna Gonsalves

This terrific collection focuses on the tough lives of Indian immigrants in Sydney. Gonsalves is a witty writer, but her stories are often moving as her lively, flawed characters strive for their goal of permanent residency.  

Scary Monsters by Michelle de Kretser is out now (Atlantic, £9.99). It is the winner of 2023 Rathbones Folio Prize Book of the Year – Fiction. You can buy it from The Big Issue shop on Bookshop.org, which helps to support The Big Issue and independent bookshops.

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