Cirrus@Austlit

'It is becoming increasingly clear that we all need to contribute to ensure the survival of our planet; new narratives are urgently called for. Ecopoetry has become a genre within which poets put up a searching and at times brutally honest lens through which to consider climate change, loss of biodiversity, the pollution of our air and water, and environmentally damaging industries such as mining and deforestation.

'Poetry for the Planet showcases the work of one hundred poets from Australia and New Zealand. Despite an astonishing variety in style, poems are united in their plea to all of us to forge a new relationship with our fractured world, and move from an attitude of short-term exploitation to one of nourishment and sustainability.'  (Publication summary)

'Adoption in the twentieth century was messy, as it turned out. The mass practice of forced removal of babies from 'undeserving' mothers and inserting them into 'worthy, middle class' families was to have dire consequences for many.

'This memoir documents one adoptee's story after discovering, at age 27, that she was adopted, forcing her to re-evaluate her life in light of this new knowledge.

'Created over more than three decades, these poems have been curated as a powerful narrative, highlighting key issues that are both individual and universal. The story of adoption is polyphonic and diverse. While this story is unique, reflecting one adoptee's lived experience, these lines will resonate with others who have found themselves in the tangled chaotic web of adoption. Perhaps it will also help those who have not been adopted themselves, but who wish to understand what might be happening for an adoptee in their lives.

'Why poetry? As Julia Kaylock has found, poetry tells the truth in a way prose cannot. However, Child of the Clouds is not just for poetry lovers, anyone who loves a good story will find this a fascinating read.

'Included in the book is a section that discusses various aspects of adoption in the twentieth century that relate to the key themes of this book.' (Publication summary) 

'The idea flashes across your frontal cortex: ‘Why don’t we …?’

'It only takes a second to get a bright idea. One of these came to me in January 2020, in the midst of the devastating bushfires that were raging around Australia. As expected, artists of all persuasions began responding; an outpouring of words, pictures and music resulted as we came to grips with the catastrophic fire events that filled our news channels. It felt important to find a way to record these flashes of insight in a more permanent way.' (Introduction)

'Messages from the Embers brings together 118 poetic voices and visions into 138 poems that detail and articulate the devastating 2019-2020 bushfire crisis that devastated around 20,000 hectares of land around Australia, destroying thousands of homes and buildings. Adding to the human death toll, significant losses of life to domesticated animals and native fauna resulted from the fires. In this anthology, some writers address the broad political and social scope of the catastrophe, others take a microscope to the localised and domestic effects during a time when the fragility of every structure and living creature was magnified. Beginning with the origins of fire, to the burning to the ashen aftermath, this anthology is courageous in its expression and acknowledgement of the multilayered loss felt by so many. Within several of these poems is a resilient undercurrent of hopefulness, and a will to emerge from damage and drive a more perceptive way forward.' (Publication summary)