Bundyi is thrilled to announce the acquisition of world rights for the debut novel Nightcrawlers by Luca Sawyer, a proud Wiradyuri woman who grew up on Biripi Country. The publication is scheduled for 2027.
Nightcrawlers explores leaving Country, urban isolation, and the challenges posed by academic institutions from a First Nations perspectives. The story weaves in big ideas around identity, trauma, displacement, spirituality, and belonging without pretence, often using rhythm, repetition, and rich imagery to build tone and emotional resonance.
Nightcrawlers was acquired by Bundyi publisher Anita Heiss who said: ‘I am so pleased to be able to publish such a talented young author with a fresh story that will resonate widely, not just with our own people but with anyone who has ever felt dislocated or pressured to become someone else to survive. I was immediately struck by Luca’s voice and the pace of Nightcrawlers, hers is a narrative that readers will feel immediately at home with, as if they are listening to a yarn from a friend.’
Luca Sawyer recently completed her Bachelor of Arts (Creative Writing) and Law at UNSW. She was the co-recipient of the inaugural Hage Award for First Nations Writers through Sweatshop Literacy Movement. This award included a one-year mentorship, where she developed her debut novel with the direct guidance of award-winning author, Melissa Lucashenko. In December this year, her latest short stories will be published in the new anthology Love, edited by Shirley Le (Sweatshop, 2025).
Sawyer said that her ‘manuscript is a work of fiction, but it’s inspired by the real experiences of mob who leave their rural towns to pursue higher education, leaving behind Country, family, and everything familiar. It draws on my own journey, leaving home at seventeen for uni, and the stories of those around me. University isn’t designed for Blakfellas, and it’s not always a culturally safe place. I have always loved writing, and I knew I wanted my debut novel to be deeply personal. I haven’t read a book about young mob in university, and I wanted that representation.’
She commented how thrilled she was about being published by Bundyi noting that:
‘Having a First Nations publisher (Wiradyuri, no less) just felt right in my heart. I knew my debut novel would be in safe hands. Seeing the incredible authors already published with Bundyi still leaves in me awe, especially Stan Grant, whom I’ve admired since his powerful Australian Dream speech. I’m beyond grateful that Anita and the team have taken a chance on me.’
About Bundyi:
Bundyi, a Wiradyuri word meaning ‘to share with me’, focuses on cultivating First Nations talent in the industry by publishing First Nations authors, edited and designed by First Nations people. In her role as Publisher at Large, Anita Heiss is commissioning across fiction and non-fiction.