24 January 2017 PA-CN/17/02
A mechanical engineer, social advocate, writer and 'petrol head' in Chennai!
As part of Australia’s cultural diplomacy agenda the Australian High Commission invites Australian authors to India to speak at literature festivals and meet students of local schools and colleges. This not only provides the authors with a unique and exciting Indian experience, but also enriches local audiences with the best of contemporary Australian culture, ideas and literature.
This year the Australian Consulate General in Chennai supported the India tour of Yassmin Abdel-Magied, a young Sudanese Australian author and recipient of the 2015 Queensland Young Australian of the Year award. Yassmin advocates for the empowerment of youth, women and those from racially, culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. Yassmin is also the founder and chair of an Australia based organisation ‘Youth Without Borders’, an organisation that empowers young people to realise their full potential through collaborative, community based programs. Yassmin’s India tour included a presentation at the Apeejay Kolkata Literary Festival (15-17 Jan) and Jaipur Literature Festival (18-23 Jan) and outreach programs at various colleges in Chennai.
Speaking about this visit, Consul General for South India, Mr Sean Kelly, said “Yassmin’s visit is a great opportunity for us to share with Chennai one of Australia’s brightest and diverse literary successes”.
For more information about Yassmin Abdel-Magied please visit her website http://www.yassminam.com/
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