Johnny Warrkatja wins award

Johnny Warrkatja has won the inaugural $10,000 Kestin indigenous Illustrator Award from Broome-based independent indigenous publisher Magabala Books. He will be illustrating a children’s book by renowned ­Aboriginal author Sally Morgan. Johnny is a Ganalbingu man and is becoming well known for his paintings of Ganalbingu song lines as well as his mothers Wagilak clan stories. He is proud of his win and said “The kids can see my name, and the pictures, and know this is their uncle,” he said. “But it’s for white kids to understand too; it should be in all Australian schools.”

Johnny Warrkatja, Kenneth Batjurrun , Lucy Wanapuyngu, Anna Ramatha