Sven Lindqvist was born in Stockholm in 1932. His publications have included a number of travel reportage books focussing on aspects of colonialism and racism. In 2007 he produced Terra Nullius, covering his 7,000 mile Australian journey, with its emphasis on the historic subjugation and exploitation of aboriginal peoples.
Sven Lindqvist died in 2019 aged 87 years.
Terra Nullius (2007)
” ‘Genocide was a concept that didn’t yet exist,’ say those who don’t want to apologize. It took another hundred years for the word ‘genocide’ to come into use, and even longer for it to assume any legal force. It is anachronistic to judge the people of the 1840s by the laws and morals of our time. They couldn’t know that what they were doing would at some future date be considered wrong. Genocide presumes intent. But those settlers in Moorundie didn’t foresee the consequences of their actions. They didn’t realize the natives would die out. They can’t be guilty of something they were unable to predict. But the truth is, the fate of the Aborigines could be all too clearly predicted.“
Published by New Press
Featured image: Lara Jameson, Pixels.com
