Award-nominated author and former police officer Tess Merlin will visit Zillmere Library this month to discuss the real-life experiences and historical research behind her novel, Red Dirt Blue Lights.
The Moreton Bay writer will appear on Saturday, 18 July, as part of The Lord Mayor’s Writers in Residence series.
Tess said she was looking forward to meeting readers to talk about the novel, which was a finalist in the 2025 Queensland Literary Awards for the People’s Choice Book of the Year Award.
“As an author, I love speaking to groups at libraries because the people who come along are genuinely interested in hearing what writers have to say,” Tess said.
Exploring History, Culture and Storytelling
“I love sharing the story of Red Dirt Blue Lights and answering questions about the story itself and the process of researching and writing about such a sensitive and important topic.”
Set in the 1980s, the novel follows Jemma, a young woman torn between caring for her grandmother in the Cherbourg Aboriginal community and pursuing a new life with the man she loves.
Drawing on her experiences as a young policewoman in the 1970s, Tess said she was committed to ensuring the novel accurately reflected the history of police interactions with Indigenous Australians and the impacts of racism.
“I worked closely with Elders, especially Uncle Eric Law AM from the Cherbourg community in presenting this story from two perspectives: that of a young Aboriginal woman, and my own, predominantly true story,” she said.
“In respecting the history and Indigenous Culture, Red Dirt Blue Lights provides an immersive reading experience, which has a positive theme, whilst not attempting to sanitise history but rather to raise awareness and understanding.”
Tess said she believed stories about Indigenous history and communities should be beneficial in as many ways as possible. A percentage of sales from the book is donated to the Ration Shed Museum in Cherbourg.
The novel is Tess’s second book, following RANK, which was inspired by her experiences as a police officer and the trauma of being stalked.
Attendees at the Zillmere Library event will also receive a preview of Tess’s upcoming novel, an untitled cross-fiction story set in Italy that explores themes of identity and labels.
Reserve your spots via Eventbrite.
Tess Merlin: Red Dirt Blue Lights
- Saturday, 18 July, 10am-11am
- Zillmere Library
- Corner Jennings Street and Zillmere Road, Zillmere
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