Description
Just in: Saunders wins Indigenous Poetry Prize at Melbourne Writers’ Festival 2014
The biennial award, run by Australian Poetry and the Scanlon Foundation, is given to a poet for the best single-author collection of Aboriginal poetry published in the past two years. The award includes a $2000 cash prize. Congratulations Brenda!
“Moments of lyrical beauty, song and poignancy sit side by side with portraits of suffering, anger and loss.
Reflections on Country, family and nurturing culture are measured by the harrow of colonisation, mining and fear. Saunders’ poems are knots of memory and resilience, expressions of survival and richness.
Above all, and especially in her remarkable poems about musicians and painters, she reminds us that her art is first and foremost a deeply human utterance, to be spoken, heard and shared.”
Peter Minter
Brenda Saunders is a Sydney poet and artist of Aboriginal and British descent. She is the author of several collections of poetry.
Some remarks on Firestick
“A beautifully presented and strong collection, Brenda Saunders’ sure and steady voice and well-constructed poems lead us through a series of arresting and telling situations and tableaux. There is a sense of great care having been taken with these poems and a strong responsibility felt – these are the well-modulated stories and reflections of a poet of deep sensibility and integrity who has learned her craft well. There are many strong poems in this collection. I would love to see this book made widely available, particularly to high school students and in community facilities.” Dr. Terry Whitebeach
