Summary

The first draft of this book was written under a tree on the slope of a sandhill where for several years, Englishwoman Pat Lowe shared a desert camp with her lifetime partner, Walmajarri man Jimmy Pike. While spending time in the red heart of country that had been the home to the Walmajarri people for thousands of years, they recorded Pike’s stories through his painting and Lowe’s writing.

You Call it Desert – We Used to Live There is a new edition of Jilji : Life in the Great Sandy Desert. With Jimmy Pike as her teacher, Pat Lowe explored the day-to-day lives of the desert dwellers. Through her unique understanding of their use of the land, its features and materials, Lowe writes about the resourcefulness and ingenuity of the desert people.

While spending time in the red heart of country, home to the Walmajarri people for thousands of years, they recorded Pike's stories through his painting and Lowe's writing. Through their unique understanding of use of the land, its features and materials, they write about the resourcefulness and ingenuity of the desert people.

About the Author

Pat Lowe migrated to Australia from England in 1972 and worked as a clinical psychologist in Western Australian prisons for many years. She is an award-winning author of adult and children's books, all of which were written with and illustrated by Jimmy Pike. Jimmy Pike is one of Australia's best-known Aboriginal artists.