Donkeys Can’t Fly on Planes is a collection of 25 true stories of survival written by young South Sudanese refugees who, with their families, have found a new home in Australia. With the help of dedicated and caring staff at the Latrobe English Language Centre and the Liddiard Street Primary School in Traralgon, eastern Victoria, the children were encouraged to record and illustrate their stories. These beautifully told tales, are written with disarming directness, honesty and clarity. They are in turns harrowing, joyous, heartbreaking and celebratory, and bear witness to the refugee experience and the resilience of children. The young authors are to be congratulated for offering us their observations, their natural poetic vision, their unique insights and sharp eye for detail. We thank them, and welcome them to Australia, a country where they have already made a contribution through writing stories which enhance our understanding of what it means to be a refugee and a child of contemporary Africa. (Arnold Zable, acclaimed Australian author, storyteller and human rights advocate.)
