Old Days depicts the author’s childhood memories while spending her time between Iwupataka (Jay Creek) and Ntaria (Hermannsburg), as well as frequently visiting Tempe Downs, her mother’s Country.
A gorgeous bilingual book written in both Western Arrarnta and English. Western Arrarnta is spoken in parts of the Northern Territory by the Western Arrarnta People. There are some sounds in Western Arrarnta that do not exist in English, but the pronunciation guide in this book will give you a little bit of an idea as to how to say these words.
Her vibrant artwork brings her memories to life and include animals and birds – soaring eagles, goannas, echidnas and horses – as well as Elders on Country, Hermansburg mission days, play and of course fishing and picnicking. They are all brought to the forefront of her expansive landscapes.
Marjorie ‘Nunga’ Williams is a senior Western Arrernte woman. She was born in Mparntwe (Alice Springs) in 1953, where she lives today. Marjorie paints with Tangentyere Artists. She is a proud grandmother, Western Arrernte language teacher and member of the Central Australian Women’s choir, travelling internationally to perform. Her works have been exhibited widely across the Northern Territory and in 2019 was invited to an artist residency program at Mulgara Gallery, Voyages, Yulara.
Since joining Tangentyere Artists in 2017, Marjorie has developed a sought-after style of figurative landscape painting, depicting memories of her early years on Country. Nunga cleverly uses vibrant colours and exaggerated proportions to make apparent the hive of activity present in these places.
She has worked on the Honey Ant Readers series to illustrate and translate the books into Western Desert languages. Nunga has been invited to participate in the NT Writers Festival in 2025.
