Kevin Gilbert's 1968 play The Cherry Pickers was the first written Aboriginal play and Gilbert would only allow it to be staged with an all Aboriginal cast. The first staging finally took place in the year following his death.

While in prison Gilbert educated himself, learning to read and write. He developed a thirst for knowledge, particularly about the history of Aboriginals in Australia.

Many of the poems from this original manuscript were published in End of Dream-time and People are Legends.