In 2021 Evelyn Araluen’s debut collection of poems, Dropbear, dropped on the literary world like an incendiary device. It was shortlisted for three Premier’s literary prizes and won the Stella prize – the first book of poetry to do so – as well as the small publishers’ adult book of the year in the Australian Book Industry Association awards. That’s a pretty extraordinary reception for any first book, let alone a debut collection of poems.
It’s easy to see why. Araluen’s poetic drills down to the nerve with a lyric intelligence that is as tough as steel. In Dropbear, she turned a scorching gaze on icons of Australian literature – Banjo Paterson, Blinky Bill, Snugglepot and Cuddlepie – and rewrote the mythos of colonial nationhood, reinstating its erased Indigenous presence. “What use is witness at the end of worlds?” she asked.
