The Cleaners: A short story about unconscious bias

A short story based in Aotearoa (New Zealand), centred on unconscious bias and racism

Susi and Lavita appear in the story as cleaners in a large corporate building. When the business discovers a series of thefts in the office, the manager suspects the pair and acts on his suspicion, but everything is not as it seems.

Written in third person limited point-of-view, The Cleaners is part of a series of short stories written by 2019 New Zealander of the Year Local Hero recipient, Pera Barrett, to challenge readers’ assumptions and highlight unconscious bias.

The book is currently being used in schools as a professional development tool for teachers on these subjects.