A poignant tribute to the Aboriginal men and women who worked in the pearling industry as ‘free divers’ in the late nineteenth century in Western Australia. The fictionalised lyrical narrative is based on the celebrated song ‘Free Diving’ by singer–songwriter Lorrae Coffin. It sensitively reflects the emotional journey of a young man who leaves family and country to work on a lugger with Japanese and Malay divers by his side. Bronwyn Houston’s illustrations are a deep-sea celebration that illuminate both the glory of the ocean and the extreme dangers encountered by the free divers.

Kiefer Dann（Author）
Kiefer Dann, also known as ‘Bluebone Dann’, is a descendant of the Nyul Nyul people of the Dampier Peninsula in the west Kimberley. Born in 1993, Kiefer is the youngest of six children. He grew up in Broome and is also a talented sportsman and musician.

Lucy Dann（Author）
Lucy Dann was born in Broome in 1960. She has cultural connections to the Bardi Jaawi people, and has been involved in many language and cultural projects. Her first book the Bardi Counting Book, was published by Magabala Books in 2000.

Bronwyn Houston（Illustrator）
Bronwyn Houston is descended from the Nyiyaparli and Yindjiparndi people of the Wana clan in the Pilbara region of Western Australia. Bronwyn was born and bred in Broome and draws her inspiration from the natural world she knows and loves.
Bronwyn has a Diploma of Graphic Design and an extraordinary flare for illustration and art. Her creativity extends to being an author and illustrator of various published works as well as commissioned pieces that reside in collections nationally. She has run many illustration workshops in WA, including a workshop at the Perth International Festival in 2014.
Bronwyn illustrated her first book Loongie the Greedy Crocodile (Kiefer and Lucy Dann, 2008) at the age of twenty-one. Staircase to the Moon (2011) was her second title as an illustrator and first as an author. Her third book was a collaboration: My Home Broome (2012). Her fourth book, Counting Aussie Animals in my Backyard was published in October 2014.