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The Hate Race

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The Hate Race

By: Maxine Beneba Clarke
Narrated by: Zahra Newman
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About this listen

'Against anything I had ever been told was possible, I was turning white. On the surface of my skin, a miracle was quietly brewing....'

Suburban Australia. Sweltering heat. Three-bedroom blonde brick. Family of five. Beat-up Ford Falcon. Vegemite on toast. Maxine Beneba Clarke's life is just like all the other Aussie kids' on her street. Except for this one glaring, inescapably obvious thing.

From one of Australia's most exciting writers and the author of the multiaward-winning Foreign Soil comes The Hate Race: a powerful, funny, and at times devastating memoir about growing up black in white middle-class Australia.

©2016 Maxine Beneba Clarke (P)2016 Hachette Australia Pty Ltd Art & Literature Authors Political Science Politics & Government Women Heartfelt Funny Thought-Provoking Inspiring

Critic Reviews

"Maxine Beneba Clarke is a powerful and fearless storyteller." (Dave Eggers, international best-selling author of A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius)
"Technically, this book is near-perfect." ( Books + Publishing - five stars)
"Maxine Beneba Clarke's storytelling in The Hate Race has a heft to it that is at once steeped in history, and also exquisitely and playfully modern; it is lyrical, sincere and ironic, but above all, it is fierce. What starts out as a nostalgic childhood memoir soon turns into a revealing account of racism in Australia. The Hate Race explores the sun-drenched, suburban, middle-class childhood of Clarke and her siblings, born in Australia to parents of Jamaican and Guyanese descent who emigrated from England in the 1970s. It moves from West Indian folkloric flourishes into familiar childhood episodes, only to deliver, again and again, that appalling gut punch: that being black in Australia is to be the subject of racism. Technically, this book is near-perfect. At the beginning and end of chapters, and at select moments throughout the narrative, Clarke emphasises the storytelling with exquisite stylistic repetitions: 'this is how it sang', 'this is how it stalks us', 'this is how it happened, or else what's a story for'. Never before have I read narrative repetition executed with such precision, poetry and power. The Hate Race will appeal to anyone with an interest in Australian history, culture and identity today." (Amy Vuleta, Books + Publishing)
"It's unputdownable." (Jane Hutcheon, host of One Plus One)
All stars
Most relevant  
A powerful personal story showing the devastating and ongoing impacts racism has on people's lives.

Insightful story

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A really well written glance into Australia's multicultural society of the 1980s and 1990s.
Maybe I was just lucky in my upbringing and in the environment my parents brought me up in, but I just don't recall that time period being quite as harsh as portrayed in Clarke's writing.
But, to be fair, I am a white (first generation) Australian of Scottish descent, so I obviously (in my bubble of youth) just didn't notice.
I am not saying that the behaviour described didn't, or would not have happened (I'm not that naive). But I will say, looking back on my childhood and looking at the world today, I'm eternally grateful for my parents of that era. For I seem to have ventured through childhood (and most of my adult hood) not even noticing the colour of ones skin, the choice of ones deity, or even ones sexual preference.
I guess I was one of the lucky few of the time, who grew up believing that people are just people, regardless of how they are packaged.
While I'm not naive enough to believe that this behavior no longer happens, Clarke's writing has reignited in me, a more aware and observant approach to my own community.
Beautifully narrated by Zahra Newman

Eye-Opening and Thought Provoking

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Reading 'the world & me' recently I stupidly thought this level of racism didn't exist in Australia. How naive!

Racial Relations in modern Australia

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Loved this story, sad but true. I grew up in the area book was set in and I can relate.

Brilliant!

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Beautifully written and performed, singing brutal truths about racism and bullying growing up black in suburban Sydney, and still resonating now. Listening, I wept in bitter anger, as Maxine tells the story of her school days, dismayingly familiar monstrous classmates and disappointing teachers, and laughed at her charming descriptions of life in the 70's and 80's from daggy dad, ovalteenies and cabbage patch kids to Nick the Greeks disastrous hair straightening....

Beautiful and brutal

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Very interesting read from the perspective of an Australian born British/Jamaican ancestry author. Being an immigrant, I share her experience and yes, even today. People say it is getting better? Really? Those people are not "coloured". The saddest thing was that I even felt blessed when the attention shifted from racism to religious bias- a sigh of relief that I was not targeted for a while. I work for a company that advocates equality, especially LTBGIQ, however, the Board has no other colours but white. I think it will take another generation for us truly multicultural and I only hope my children and their off-springs get a fairer go.

They say racism is getting better in Australia?

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A candid and open memoir of the untold, nastier but unfortunately often true experience of being a person of colour in Australia. Although attitudes towards racism have greatly improved since the 1980s, remnants of what the author duscusses are still prevalent today and relevant to today’s society. Definitely touched a nerve with me.

The untold story of many migrants to Australia

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I share this story. It is also mine as with many people who have migrated to Australia. Hearing this story helped me to see how most people just dont realize how harsh their words feel.
Many people in Australia are ignorant and uneducated to the rest of the world. This is an island protected by a huge amount of water. Many Australians have never traveled and are regurgitating the racism of their parents.
I feel different and sometimes detest it unless we are in a multiracial group. Thats when we are happiest! We do clock each other when we see another person in a crowd of brown skin.
We try to get on with it but are constantly reminded when an innocent stranger asks "where are you from?" then again "no WHERE are YOU from!" really asking what is your genetic background. Most people believe it is an innocent and just curious question.
I feel far away from my family and have made a new family here. i love my family here. My families history also has slave trade mass genocide rape and sadness. It is time to move on and forgive the past. If only strangers didnt keep asking and by this are reminding me of it.
The solution for me has been to teach my children resilience and hopefully they will rise above. I hope someday the leaders of our country reflect the diversity and the indigenous footprint laid here long ago.
This book should be on a list of reading for High School.

Beautifully narrated and written.

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A life journey that must be shared. Heartbreaking in so many ways.
Beautifully written and beautifully read. Vivid descriptions of an experience that has to be told. Thank you

Heart Breaking

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Beautifully written and wonderfully ready by Zaraha Newman- with voices, accents and characters which added to the story hugely.

The honesty is enthralling, the writing is superb and pithy. The ignorance and apathy of the adults is cutting and SO well written. I couldn't stop listening, it was highly engrossing.

This book should absolutely be on high school cirriculum. I am about 10 years younger than Clarke and found myself hoping and wishing that things are a little better for young people of colour in Australia growing up now. I don't really know whether or not they are.

Beautifully written and Enthralling

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