Submitted in (partial) fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, Macquarie University, Faculty of Arts, Department of English, 2012."January 2012".Bibliography: pages 256-280.Exegesis: Introduction: writing other, writing self -- ch. 1: Phantoms in Australian literature -- ch. 2: White representations of African Australians -- ch. 3: Shift to self: interrogating whiteness -- Novella: Fragile skins."This creative writing thesis reflects the journey of a white Australian writer grappling with the ethical uncertainties of writing about African Australians and of placing the (white) self into the racial problem. The exegesis moves its way progressively from asking questions about the 'other' to interrogating the 'se...