WHEN NORPA’s creative director First Nations Rhoda Roberts asked Indigenous TV chef Mark Olive to write about his life for Byron Writers Festival, he told her: 

“I’m not a writer.”

However, the celebrated chef is known for writing recipes, so that’s just what he’s done. 

Mark has taken on the challenge of writing about his life, his identity and culture – through recipes. 

Mark’s story is one of four contemporary Bundjalung stories with unexpected twists that will be delivered at the Byron Writers Festival event, Bundjalung Nghari – Indigenise. 

Its the second year this event has run and this year, commissioned writers include Koori Mail chief executive Naomi Moran, Bundjalung editor and poet Grace Lucas-Pennington and Munanjali man Kirk Page. 

“The show is about challenging people who may not have previously thought of themselves as writers,” Rhoda told the Koori Mail. 

“In the creative industry, artists who live in the country are often invisible – the arts sector doesn’t realise how many are here and they often miss out…