Johno: The remarkable true story of a child migrant

At just seven years old, Norman Johnston (Johno) was deported to Australia without his parents, one of thousands of British children sent across the world under post-war migration schemes that promised opportunity and a better life. Instead, he lost his childhood inside some of Western Australia’s most brutal children’s homes.

Against overwhelming odds, Norman Johnston forged a life defined not only by hardship, but by loyalty, friendship and courage, including two tours of duty during the Vietnam War.

Now, for the first time, his extraordinary story is told in Johno, a gripping narrative non-fiction book by Kathleen O’Reilly Johnson. Both confronting and deeply moving, Johno shines a light on one of the most troubling and often overlooked chapters of Australian history.

“This book pulls back the curtain on a world that should never have been hidden. Johno reveals the extraordinary grit of those forced to endure darkness. An engrossing, deeply moving read that lingers long after the final page.”  Troy Henderson, The Australian 2025 Fiction Prize Winner

Kathleen O'Reilly Johnson will be in conversation with Gerard McCann, winner of the WA Premiers Book Awards for non-fiction in 2025.