The poems in this striking new collection take a number of forms, drifting between nature and philosophy, evoking a meditative quality that is both contemplative and full of grace. Spare and honed, David Brooks's poems range in scale, from investigations into microscopic detail observing the smallest creatures and textures underfoot as well as the telescopic, revealing the smallness of human endeavor from a thoughtful distance. This volume is at once powerful, resonant, and unreserved.
A vivid, new collection of poetry from one of Tasmania's premier talents, each of the poems in this work are influenced by Kathryn Lomer's considerable skills as a storyteller and convey sensuality, fresh imagery, and tension between the grounded and the whimsical. The volume, which is divided into five interconnecting sections, begins with a poem about the courage to love and centers on the observation "e;I once read that love is mainly courage."e; Drawing inspiration from the Tasmanian wilderness and landscape, these works also touch upon themes of craft and creativity, and motherhood and resilience.
Transmuting techniques, forms, and figures as she moves with enviable ease from themes of love through landscape to logic, Rachael Briggs evinces a relentless inventiveness and intelligence in this collection of poems. Structured as eight sets of inventive poems, from "e;Twelve Love Stories,"e; which features different kinds of love to "e;Solve for X and Y,"e; which pits characters against surreal problems to "e;Tough Luck,"e; a crown of sonnets which follows one narrator through a journey of unrequited love and identity discovery, this exciting new volume announces the arrival of a fresh and vital voice in Australian poetry.
From the much-loved author of Shadowboxing comes a stunning debut novel in the spirit of Honey Brown and Chris Womersley. From the moment he saw her, wrapped in a blanket at the hospital, Jesse knew that he'd be the one to look after his little sister, Rachel. Mum was always on the move and always bringing home trouble. When his mum's appetite for destruction leads the little family into the arms of Ray Crow, beneath the charm and charisma, Jesse sees the brooding violence and knows that, this time, the trouble is real. But Jesse is just a kid and even as he tries to save his sister, he makes a fatal error that exposes them to the kind of danger he has sworn to protect Rachel from. As their little world is torn to pieces, the children learn that, when you are lost and alone, the only thing you can trust is what's in your blood. Blood is an epic moral fable, a gothic odyssey set on the back roads of Australia. In understated prose touched with poetry, it finds tenderness in a world without sanctuary and the strength of innocence amidst violence and genuine evil.
Winner of the 2010 David Unaipon Award for Indigenous Writing, Purple Threads is a humorous collection of rural yarns by a gifted storyteller. Jeanine Leane grew up on a sheep farm near Gundagai, and the stories are based on her childhood experiences in a house full of fiercely independent women. In between Aunty Boo's surveillance of the local farmers' sheep dip alliance and Aunty Bubby's fireside tales of the Punic Wars, the women offer sage advice to their nieces on growing up as Indigenous girls in a white country town. The cast of strong Aboriginal women in a rural setting gives a fascinating insight into both Aboriginal and rural life. Farming is not an easy pursuit for anyone, but the Aunties take all the challenges in their stride, facing torrential rain, violent neighbours and injured dogs with an equal mix of humour and courage.
It sounded like a good idea at the time: A Hollywood spy thriller, starring, for the first time in history, an Asian male lead. With an estimated $350 million production budget and up-and-coming Hong Kong actor JK Jr, who, let''s be honest, is not the sharpest tool in the shed, but probably the hottest, Brood Empire was basically a sure thing. Until it wasn''t.So how did it all fall apart? There were smart guys involved. So smart, so woke. So woke it hurts. There was top-notch talent across the board and the financial backing of a heavyweight Chinese studio. And yet, Brood Empire is remembered now not as a historical landmark of Asian representation that smashed the bamboo ceiling in Hollywood, but rather as a fiasco of seismic proportions.The Whitewash is the definitive oral history of the whole sordid mess. Unofficial. Unasked for. Only intermittently fact-checked, and featuring a fool''s gallery of actors, producers, directors, film historians and scummy click-bait journalists, to answer the question of how it all went so horribly, horribly wrong.
let me tell youhow to lean gently onone another withoutrocking sideways.Rae White''s compelling second poetry collection Exactly As I Am rises from their lived experience as a non-binary transgender person. Their gloriously defiant, unruly poems dissect and scrutinise the spaces transgender people are both assigned and denied in society, through unflinching explorations of gender identity, gender discrimination and gender euphoria. These bracing poems lean towards you, hold out their hand and offer you: a connection, a community, an emboldened call to action.
As head of Australia''s consular service, Ian Kemish played a central role in the nation''s response to some of the most dramatic events of the early twenty-first century, including the September 11 attacks and the Bali bombings. He led the small band of Australian consuls as they confronted the new challenges of global jihadism, supporting families who lost loved ones, and negotiated the release of Australians unjustly detained abroad. In The Consul, Kemish offers a unique and personal perspective on Australia''s foreign affairs challenges of the last two decades, from hostage diplomacy to natural disasters and evacuations from war zones. This timely and engaging book also asks us to consider how world events have changed the way we travelnow and in the future.
From the award-winning author of Ghost River. In this unforgettable new collection, Tony Birch introduces a cast of characters from all walks of life. These remarkable and surprising stories capture common people caught up in the everyday business of living and the struggle to survive. From two single mothers on the most unlikely night shift to a homeless man unexpectedly faced with the miracle of a new life, Birch's stories are set in gritty urban refuges and battling regional communities. His deftly drawn characters find unexpected signs of hope in a world where beauty can be found on every street corner - a message on a T-shirt, a friend in a stray dog or a star in the night sky. Common People shines a light on human nature and how the ordinary kindness of strangers can have extraordinary results. With characteristic insight and restraint, Tony Birch reinforces his reputation as a master storyteller. Stories include: 'The Ghost Train', 'Harmless', 'Colours', 'Joe Roberts', 'The White Girl', 'Party Lights', 'Paper Moon', 'Painted Glass', 'Frank Slim', 'Liam', 'Raven and Sons', 'The Good Howard', 'Sissy', 'Death Star', 'Worship'.
This important anthology, curated by Gomeroi poet and academic Alison Whittaker, showcases many respected First Nations poets from this continent alongside some of its rising stars. Featured poets include Oodgeroo Noonuccal, Jack Davis, Ruby Langford Ginibi, Kevin Gilbert, Lisa Bellear, Lionel Fogarty, Kerry Reed-Gilbert, Archie Roach, Alexis Wright, Sam Wagan Watson, Ellen van Neerven, Briggs, Claire G. Coleman and Tony Birch. Divided into five thematic sections, each is introduced by an essay from a leading Aboriginal writer and thinker – Bruce Pascoe, Ali Cobby Eckermann, Steven Oliver, Chelsea Bond and Evelyn Araluen Corr – who reflects on the power of First Nations poetry in their own inimitable way. This incredible book is a testament to the renaissance of First Nations poetry happening in Australia right now.
An outstanding collection of fresh, zesty poems about identity, sexuality, self-perception and relationships, with a futuristic narrative pulse.
An art teacher sends four of her students on a guerrilla mission. A young runner struggles to make sense of his best friend's death. A health-food company adopts a farcical promotional strategy. A factory worker spends her days applying radioactive paint to watches, while dreaming of a future with her new suitor. With a keen eye for detail and rich emotional insight, Laura Elvery reveals the fears and fantasies of everyday people searching for meaning. Ranging from tender poignancy to wry humor, this beguiling collection marks the debut of one of a rising star.
The highly anticipated new novel from the Miles Franklin-shortlisted author of Blood 'You find yourself down at the bottom of the river, for some it's time to give into her. But other times, young fellas like you two, you got to fight your way back. Show the river you got courage and is ready to live.' The river is a place of history and secrets. For Ren and Sonny, two unlikely friends, it's a place of freedom and adventure. For a group of storytelling vagrants, it's a refuge. And for the isolated daughter of a cult reverend, it's an escape. Each time they visit, another secret slips into its ancient waters. But change and trouble are coming - to the river and to the lives of those who love it. Who will have the courage to fight and survive and what will be the cost?
Milk Teeth is a highly original debut volume of poetry by the 2017 Thomas Shapcott Prize winner. It interrogates notions of category, including but not limited to gender. Rae White has produced poetry that is playful and edgy yet, at the same time, accessible and meaningful. It is a wise, adventurous and provocative collection that announces the arrival of a significant new talent in Australian poetry.
An assured, energetic collection of poems by an award-winning poet. Exploring body and place in ways that are expansive, intimate and playful, Viva the Real celebrates resilience and continuity in everyday life. Jones' poems offer us a strong, vital voice, charged with her effortlessly rhythmic and resonant lyricism. This collection is both haunted and visceral, and will resonate long after reading.
Hannah lives in Zimbabwe during the reign of Robert Mugabe; it's a country of petrol queues and power cuts, food shortages and government corruption. Yet Hannah is lucky. She can afford to go to school, has never had to skip a meal, and lives in a big house with her mum and their Shona housekeeper. Hannah is wealthy, she is healthy, and she is white. But money can't always keep you safe. As the political situation becomes increasingly unstable and tensions within Hannah's family escalate, her sheltered life is threatened. She is forced to question all that she's taken for granted, including where she belongs.
When Rebecca Lister and Tony Kelly move from Melbourne to Mount Isa to care for Rebecca's elderly mother, Diana, they have no idea what they've signed up for. The isolation, sweltering heat and limited employment opportunities make settling into the mining town a challenge. While Rebecca deals with her mother's declining health and delves into her own past, Tony takes on a new role in native title law.However, caring for Diana – a witty, crossword-loving 92-year-old – proves to be a more enriching experience than either Tony or Rebecca thought possible. As they make deeper connections to the land and community, they find themselves flourishing in a most unexpected place. Growing Pineapples in the Outback explores the highs and lows of caring for an ageing parent, while also celebrating the rewards of a simpler life.
As university student Olivia Wells sets out on her quest to find an unpublished manuscript by Gloria Graham – a now obscure mid-twentieth century feminist and writer – she unwittingly uncovers details about a young woman found murdered. Strangled with a nylon stocking in the mangroves on the banks of the river in wartime Brisbane, the case soon became known as the river girl murder. Olivia's detective work exposes the sinister side of that city in 1943, flush with greenbacks and nylons, jealousy and violence brewing between the Australian and US soldiers, which eventually boiled over into the infamous Battle of Brisbane. Olivia soon discovers that the diggers didn't just reserve their anger for the US forces – they also took it out on the women they perceived as traitors, the ones who dared to consort with US soldiers.Can Olivia rewrite history to bring justice to the river girl whose life was so brutally taken? Even if the past can't be changed, is it possible to undo history's erasure?
Set to the soundtrack of music that has shaped a generation, Something To Believe In will resonate with anyone whose life has been saved by rock 'n' roll. Born in Melbourne's outer suburbs in the 1970s, Andrew Stafford grew up in a time when music was a way out and a way up. His passion for rock 'n' roll led him to a career as a journalist and music critic, but along the way his battles with family illness, mental health and destructive relationships threatened to take him down. Andrew Stafford delves bravely and deeply into a life that has been shaped and saved by music's beat. From the author of the cult classic Pig City comes a memoir of music, madness, and love.
When floods devastated South East Queensland in 2011, who was to blame? Despite the inherent risk of living on a floodplain, most residents had pinned their hopes on Wivenhoe Dam to protect them, and when it failed to do so, dam operators were blamed for the scale of the catastrophic events that followed. A River with a City Problem is a compelling history of floods in the Brisbane River catchment, especially those in 1893, 1974 and 2011. Extensively researched, it highlights the force of nature, the vagaries of politics and the power of community. With many river cities facing urban development challenges, Cook makes a convincing argument for what must change to prevent further tragedy.
Reg Dodd grew up at Finniss Springs, on striking desert country bordering South Australia's Lake Eyre. For the Arabunna and for many other Aboriginal people, Finniss Springs has been a homeland and a refuge. It has also been a cattle station, an Aboriginal mission, a battlefield, a place of learning, and a living museum. With his long-time friend and filmmaker Malcolm McKinnon, Dodd reflects on his upbringing in a cross-cultural environment that defied social conventions of the time. They also write candidly about the tensions surrounding power, authority, and Indigenous knowledge that have defined the recent decades of this resource-rich area. Talking Sideways is part history, part memoir, and part cultural road-map. Together, Dodd and McKinnon reveal the unique history of this extraordinary place and share their concerns and their hopes for its future.
When Brigadier James Phelan returns from Afghanistan with the body of a young soldier killed under his command, he is traumatised by the tragedy. An encounter with young Sydney tattoo artist Kira leaves him with a permanent tribute to the soldier, but it is a meeting that will change the course of his life. What he isn't expecting is a campaign of retribution from the soldiers who blame him for the ambush and threaten his career. With his marriage also on the brink, his life spirals out of control. Years later, Phelan is surprised when Kira re-enters his life seeking refuge from her own troubles and with a young son in tow. She finds a way to help him make peace with his past, but she is still on the run from her own. The War Artist is a timely and compelling novel about the legacy of war, the power of art and the possibility of redemption.
A scorching psychological drama about family, betrayal and the limits of forgiveness.Adrian Pomeroy teaches English at an all-boys school ‘full of bullshit artists in blazers'. When he finds himself at the centre of an allegation that might end his career, his life starts to unravel in spectacular fashion. With a police investigation underway, Adrian turns to his detective brother for help, but Noel is battling crippling demons of his own. As the repercussions of this one accusation lead to the implosion of Adrian's family, he can no longer ignore the secrets buried in his own past. The Apology is an explosive and shocking portrait of the lies we tell ourselves and each other in order to survive.
Solid Air showcases the work of more than 100 spoken word artists from Australia and New Zealand - combining elements of slam, hip hop and performance poetry - to deliver an unforgettable reading experience that is both literary and loud. This groundbreaking collection welcomes a new generation of poets - often young, diverse and politically active - whose focus on performance has become increasingly popular over the past decade. Transporting the energy of their words from the stage to the page, Solid Air celebrates the most vibrant and talented voices from our region.Contributors include: Evelyn Araluen, Courtney Barnett, Hera Lindsay Bird, Behrouz Boochani, Maxine Beneba Clarke, Candy Royalle, Ali Cobby Eckermann, Michelle Law, Omar Musa, Sara Saleh, Taika Waititi, Te Kahu Rolleston, Claire G. Coleman, Selina Tusitala Marsh, PiO, Tayi Tibble and many, many more.
When trust is destroyed in the workplace, how do you restore it?
'A creative fusion of Australian history and fiction.' Henry Reynolds
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