Gayle Kennedy details her rough & tumble life as a bright indigenous kid challenged by polio & confusion about here identity - from ABC Conversations 10 July 2026.

Gayle Kennedy details contracting polio at age two while living in a camp outside Condobolin. She describes spending six months in an iron lung in Sydney and years in rehabilitation, creating a "chameleon-like" existence where she was "Beryl" in the hospital and "Gayle" at home. She recounts the stark contrast between the orderly hospital life and her "rough and tumble" country upbringing. A major focus is her award-winning book, Me, Antman & Fleabag. Kennedy explains her use of "wicked black humour" and vernacular language to tell stories of contemporary Indigenous life. She discusses winning the David Unaipon Award and her philosophy of "saying yes" to opportunities, which led to her success as a published author in the Sydney Morning Herald and beyond. The link to her story is here https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/conversations/gayle-kennedy-polio-comic-books-land-council/106882526