Cirrus@Austlit

The definitive collection of work from one of Australia’s preeminent twentieth century poets, Kenneth Slessor, drawing from his acclaimed books, Earth Visitors (1926), Cuckooz Contrey (1932) and Five Bells (1939). This selection was first published as One Hundred Poems in 1944 (with the addition of three further poems in 1957), and includes an introduction by Dennis Haskell and an Author’s Note. From his historical series, ‘Five Visions of Captain Cook’, to his memorial to the loss of a friend, the iconic ‘Five Bells’, and from the tragic landscape of El Alamein, influenced by his stint as a war correspondent and made famous in ‘Beach Burial’, to the meditation ‘Out of Time’, Slessor’s poetry continues to dazzle contemporary audiences. A master of modern verse, Slessor explores the themes of art, death and time, displaying an impressive range: from sorrow to satire, melodrama to poignant intensity. His work still influences and inspires younger generations, and the prestigious Kenneth Slessor Poetry Prize is named in his honour.

Source: Harper Collins

(http://www.harpercollins.com.au/9781460703120/#sm.0001ateq1q7i8db3zj927an1pz5xe)

'A collection of the best poetry of the twentieth century; Hope - Wright - Slessor - Webb - Harwood - Murray.' (Publication summary)

'Some of the best, most significant writing produced in Australia over more than two centuries is gathered in this landmark anthology. Covering all genres - from fiction, poetry and drama to diaries, letters, essays and speeches - the anthology maps the development of one of the great literatures in English in all its energy and variety.

'The writing reflects the diverse experiences of Australians in their encounter with their extraordinary environment and with themselves. This is literature of struggle, conflict and creative survival. It is literature of lives lived at the extremes, of frontiers between cultures, of new dimensions of experience, where imagination expands.

'This rich, informative and entertaining collection charts the formation of an Australian voice that draws inventively on Indigenous words, migrant speech and slang, with a cheeky, subversive humour always to the fore. For the first time, Aboriginal writings are interleaved with other English-language writings throughout - from Bennelong's 1796 letter to the contemporary flowering of Indigenous fiction and poetry - setting up an exchange that reveals Australian history in stark new ways.

'From vivid settler accounts to haunting gothic tales, from raw protest to feisty urban satire and playful literary experiment, from passionate love poetry to moving memoir, the Macquarie PEN Anthology of Australian Literature reflects the creative eloquence of a society.

'Chosen by a team of expert editors, who have provided illuminating essays about their selections, and with more than 500 works from over 300 authors, it is an authoritative survey and a rich world of reading to be enjoyed.' (Publisher's blurb)

Allen and Unwin have a YouTube channel with a number of useful videos on the Anthology.