ABSTRACT
The main aim of Dolores Herrero’s chapter is to analyse how Serbo Australian writer A.S. Patric’s debut novel Black Rock, White City denounces Australia’s harsh refugee policies and the shameful effects that these can have on both sides of the divide. In order to do this, the way in which several theorists have interpreted the concept of shame is first explained, to then offer a brief introduction to Australian refugee policies from the 1990s onwards, especially as regards the way in which they affected refugees coming from the former Yugoslavia. Finally, a close reading of the novel shows how the writing and erasing of graffiti are used in it to denounce, not only the damaged self-esteem and shame suffered by those asking for asylum, but also the identity crisis and anxiety gnawing at many contemporary Australians.
