1. Brothers
2. Bullying
3. Death
4. Depression
5. Drugs
6. Emotions
7. Families
8. Friendship
9. Gender
10. Grief
11. LGBTQIA+ 
12. Loneliness
13. Love
14. Mothers
15. Moving house
16. Sports
17. Yuin people (S67) (NSW SI56-13)

Gary Lonesborough has given readers three young adult novels, one a year since 2001. A fourth, ‘Good Young Men’ is scheduled for publication in 2026. His novels are characteristically fast moving, hard-hitting and unputdownable. Each concerns a teenage Aboriginal boy struggling with his sexuality and finding his place in the world. Gary Lonesborough delivers characters worth caring about. In ‘I’m not really here’ the author snares young readers with his strong storytelling skills and ability to create characters whose emotions, thoughts and actions are those frequently experienced by young adults. The dialogue is authentic and captures individual characters’ personal perspectives.

In an interview Gary Lonesborough says, ‘The (main characters) ultimately reflects a lot of the things I was going through as a teen – wanting to be a writer, struggling with my body image and my queer identity, and dealing with grief, trying to fit in and be liked, exploring themes of identity and self-love. My characters are all resilient young people who have grown up in difficult circumstances and enduring things that shape their sense of identity. I think there is a universal relatability to all of my characters that readers can’t help but empathise and empathise with elements of their journeys’ (Source: Paperbark Words)

In ‘I’m not really here’ the main character Jonah is 17 years old. He is openly gay, Aboriginal and aspires to be a writer. These are challenges enough but when Jonah, his dad and two younger brothers move to a new town, he must find a way to ‘fit in’, make new friends and hopefully find love. He has other problems too – his self-image is low (he sees himself as too fat), and he has not yet dealt with the sudden death of his mother. He meets Harley, another Aboriginal boy who plays footy. Readers will feel involved in the trials of these two boys establishing a relationship.

The language used depicts teen culture and incorporates realistic dialogue including swearing, school fights, drinking, marijuana and some sex scenes. These have a purpose in the story and are handled realistically.

Lonesborough’s novel,’ I’m not really here’, has won multiple awards including:

Longlisted, Best Young Adult Fiction, Indie Book Awards, 2025

Shortlisted, Prize for Indigenous Writing, Victorian Premier's Literary Awards, 2025

Winner, Book of Year: Older Readers, CBCA Awards, 2025

Winner, Children's Book for Older Readers - MARION ACT Book of the Year, 2025

Longlist, Indie Book Awards for Young Adult Books, 2025

Gary Lonesborough is a Yuin man who grew up in Bega on the far south coast of NSW as part of a large Aboriginal family. He began writing as a child and pursued studies at film school. He has worked in the disability sector, Aboriginal health, youth justice system and film industry.

1. The Guardian 1 Mar 2021 ‘I stopped reading because I couldn’t see myself in books. So I wrote one instead’ by Gary Lonesborough https://www.theguardian.com/books/2021/mar/01/i-stopped-reading-because-i-couldnt-see-myself-in-books-so-i-wrote-one-instead
2. Studio 10 television interview – Channel 10, 2 Feb 2021 Gary Lonesborough talks about ‘The Boy from the Mish’ and the need for books told from the gay perspective https://garylonesborough.com/mediaandinterviews
3. Paperbark Joy in Books 17 Aug 2025 Interview by Joy Lawn with Gary Lonesborough about his book, ‘I’m not really here’ https://paperbarkwords.blog/2025/08/17/im-not-really-here-by-gary-lonesborough/
4. Good Reading Sept 2024 ‘Gary Lonesborough talks about ‘I’m Not Really Here’ https://goodreadingmagazine.com.au/article/gary-lonesborough-talks-about-im-not-really-here/
5. Teachers’ Notes written by Cara Shipp for ‘I’m Not Really Here’  https://goodreadingmagazine.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/i-m-not-really-here-teachers-resources.pdf
6. Star Observer interview and article 21 Sept 2024 by Michael James ‘Gary Lonesborough on Writing, Identity, and the Power of Hope’ https://www.starobserver.com.au/news/gary-lonesborough-on-writing-identity-and-the-power-of-hope/232965
7. ReadPlus 6 Sept 2024 review by Helen Eddy of ‘I’m Not Really Here’ https://www.readplus.com.au/reviews/im-not-really-here
8. Books+Publishing 16 Jul 2024 review by Jemma Moreira of ‘I’m Not Really Here’ https://www.booksandpublishing.com.au/articles/2024/07/16/253931/im-not-really-here-gary-lonesborough-au-children/
9. Reading Time 26 Jan 2025 review by Margot Hillel of ‘I’m Not Really Here’ https://readingtime.cbca.org.au/im-not-really-here/