Böcker av William Cotter

Over the centuries, philosophers, artists, writers and musicians have conveyed the therapeutic value and beauty of the world around us. In his beautiful 'On the Grasshopper and Cricket', John Keats claims, 'The poetry of earth is never dead.' The harsh beauty of our desert landscape is captured by Douglas Stewart. In 'The Fierce Land', he says, 'Here the world ends in a shield of purple stone / Naked in its long war against the sun.' Wordsworth, though a lover of nature, also appreciated the early morning awakening of a large city. But our modern world is haunted by conflicts and uncertainties. It can be difficult to grasp and appreciate positive experiences and their therapeutic possibilities. All meetings and encounters become memories. And, unless we nurture those beautiful, meaningful encounters, they will erode like footprints in sand.

In the frantic days of the Victorian gold rushes, few made their fortunes. Most did not. Storm Over Bakery Hill concerns some of those people. A widow, endeavouring to create a life after the death of her ex-convict husband. Her son, determined to reject his fathers legacy. A policeman seeking revenge. A bullock driver. And those miners, the battlers, who, bullied and frustrated by authorities, were to take up arms and create one of the iconic moments in our history, the Eureka Rebellion.

Bill Cotter's poems and stories have appeared in literary journals and magazines throughout Australia. He has won a number of literary awards, including the International Library of Poetry competition, the Maryborough Golden Wattle Festival poetry competition and the Melbourne Shakespeare Society's sonnet competition. His work has also been recorded, published and read over the ABC. Some of his poetry, depicting issues of conservation, has also been on display in the Sale Regional Gallery and the East Gippsland Gallery in Bairnsdale. He has conducted a number of creative writing courses for adults and children. He has, in addition to the writing of poetry, an interest in the oral presentation of verse to an audience. Ginninderra Press has published eight books of his poetry, a collection of short stories and a short play for voices exploring the tragic journey of Burke and Wills.