A Goulburn teacher is seeking to inspire the next generation and reclaim the racist nicknames given to him as a child through his debut novella.
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Andrew Geoffrey Kwabena Moss is primary school teacher at Saints Peter and Paul's and is set to launch his book 'Nicked Names' in July.
The story follows half British, half Ghanaian high school student Norman 'Zebra' Smith as he navigates the crossroads of race and identity. After being subjected to racist slurs by bullies, Norman decides to form an alliance with fellow students from ethnic minorities.
Inspired by a fusion of hip-hop, Shakespeare and the civil rights movement, Norman and his allies, with help from a teacher Mr Neal, use the power of words to reclaim their 'nicked names' in an upbeat third act set against the backdrop of a school-wide performance.
For Mr Moss, who was born in Ghana to a Ghanaian mother and British father, Norman's journey mirrors his own journey navigating a British high school.
"It's really a mixture of young adult and adult fiction," he told the Post.
"It draws upon my experiences growing up in the UK and in Bedfordshire, which is a market town not dissimilar to Goulburn. It's quite monocultural."
Speaking with Mr Moss it becomes clear pretty quickly that central to the story is the power of words and proving the old adage that the pen is always mightier than the sword.
"[It's about] re-seizing ownership of identity," he said.
"Language has to be imbued with a sense of trust for us to agree to the meaning of the word. The word itself is arbitrary, the trust behind it is essential for it to operate."
Before moving to Australia in 2008, Mr Moss has travelled extensively, including a stint teaching English in Japan.
Already an accomplished poet, he said he had been sitting on the idea for 'Nicked Names' for some time and wanted to provide a voice for underrepresented people, something that was sorely lacking in rural England.
"It was in gestation for a long period but as a teacher I'm passionate about really amplifying underrepresented voices," he explained.
"As a student myself I felt like I was given a very myopic sense of black history, therefore I learnt a lot myself.
"That has inspired me to amplify those voices, explore hidden histories and look at things like hybridity. I wanted to have that exposure myself as a child so it gives me that drive to provide that for other audiences.
"The book itself also explores migration and obviously with Australia that's very pertinent."
'Nicked Names' is out on July 16 while a collection of poems ''Childish Recollections' is set to be released in future.
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