Cirrus@Austlit

'There is no denying the power of poetry as thoughtful story-telling, a form of expression free from rules, conventions. It allows a safe environment for experimentation, free from the confines of traditionalism. Portraits in words, detailing the ride of life and thoughts of the mind are painted onto the canvas, where the placement of verses on a page can matter as much as the choices of words themselves.' (Introduction)

'more than these bones is an epic and intercontinental poetry work detailing the author’s journey through heartbreak and self-discovery. The book is rooted in place. Pieces land in multiple settings – the bar, the beach, the bush and sometimes, the bedroom, each location lending itself to another dimension of his story so far. The canopy of this collection stretches seamlessly from chic to ancient, from tender to tough, as Backhouse’s writing offers a vital, polyphonic voice for our times.

'Alongside his words are photographs and hand-drawn expressions which speckle the page, every line the tattoo of an echo. more than these bones is filled with a love of flesh, of others, of country and eventually, for self.' (Publication summary) 

'I'm the youngest of six children - three from my father's previous relationship, and three from his marriage with my mother. My father is white and my mother is Aboriginal. However, nothing is ever as simple as that. You see, in addition to the journey that I took as a young Indigenous person, my mother was also on a journey when she was younger; we've ended up in different temporary locations, but the lessons learnt and experiences endured took similar shapes and forms.' (Introduction)