Evelyn Araluen wins $125,000 for ‘politically uncompromising’ poetry at Victorian premier’s literary awards

Evelyn Araluen, the Goorie and Koori poet who has won the $100,000 Victoria prize for literature and the $25,000 Indigenous writing category at this year’s Victorian premier’s literary awards. Photograph: UQP

Evelyn Araluen has won both the $100,000 Victorian prize for literature and the $25,000 Indigenous writing category at this year’s Victorian premier’s literary awards, for her second poetry collection The Rot.

Selected from almost 700 books entered for the prize, The Rot won the two awards on Thursday night, having also been shortlisted in the poetry category. The Goorie and Koori poet won the 2022 Stella prize, and was shortlisted for three premier’s literary prizes, for her debut collection Dropbear.