The world we are living in now is incredibly volatile. Hospitals are at capacity with the clash of rising COVID-related deaths and seasonal flu cases. Our greenhouse pollution is higher than that of any other developed country—so no wonder La Nina continues after months-long rainfall. The ongoing injustices against First Nations people from Australia to Palestine are escalating. Black communities are still being killed by White supremacist terrorists. Russia is invading Ukraine—an act reminiscent of World War One. In such an unstable time, we need to start imagining an alternative. If viruses, floods, pollution and war are our current reality, we need a new one. We need another Australia.

Two years back, in the throes of pandemic-inspired lockdown, I was asked to develop the sequel to the critically-acclaimed anthology After Australia. Originally conceived by the executive director of Diversity Arts Australia, Lena Nahlous, After Australia published works by twelve Indigenous writers and writers of colour from every state and territory in Australia. The anthology was edited by award-winning author, Dr Michael Mohammed Ahmad, and featured some of our nation’s greatest living writers, including Claire G. Coleman, Michelle Law, Future D. Fidel and Ambelin Kwaymullina, each of whom grappled with the future of this nation. Their brilliant pieces were adorned by a bright yellow cover, highlighting the scribbled-out faces of blond-headed and blue-eyed beachgoers. Following the release of After Australia, a deeply concerned citizen took it upon himself to report the anthology to the Australian Human Rights Commission, claiming that it promoted ‘racial hatred’ against White people. The complaint was ultimately terminated for ‘lacking in substance’, but at its very core was yet another reminder that this colony is still incapable of having a direct and honest conversation about racism. For the sequel, it was evident I had big shoes to fill—would I be able to produce a collection that was as experimental, revolutionary and uncompromising as its predecessor? Would I be able to find another twelve writers who could disrupt and dismantle the fantasy of White supremacy in Australia?