End of Year Wrap Up: 8 Poetry Books You May Have Missed in 2021
Continuing from our list of fiction books not to have missed this year, we’ve compiled a list of some of the best poetry that intrigued, captivated and delighted us throughout 2021.
This was an incredible year for poetic voices, with collections from some Australian greats, including Tony Birch, Maria Toklander and Evelyn Araluen (which, if you haven’t already, you should definitely get on your TBR lists).
For this list, though, we wanted to shine a light on some of the collections that you may not have seen or heard too much about but that are no less deserving of your attention. Whether for your own shelves or a last-minute gift for the poetry lover in your life - there’s something for everyone to enjoy here.
Inferno by Andrew Brooks
Published: Oct. 2021, Rosa Press
Newly established Rosa Press is a collective that publishes pamphlets, posters, books, and miscellany. The Press is committed to communism and its poetics and has published aesthetically pleasing, minimally designed books this past year. Inferno by Andrew Brooks is one of their first, and it’s a roaring flame of a collection. Reimagining Dante’s Hell in an age of bushfires, bureaucratic violence, and perpetual rage, Brooks traverses burning worlds with the aids of love, sauerkraut, big pop ballads, and the promise of the other side. With a “disarming breeziness”, Brooks navigates the reader through the embers of his version of a world of misery - one where hope will keep us going. Witty and with a hell of a soundtrack (pun intended) to accompany your reading, Brooks’ collection is not to be missed.
Portrait of a Woman Walking Home by Anne Casey
Published: Oct. 2021, Recent Work Press
Take the treacherous, deceptive, rage-inducing tour of the State of Womanhood with Anne Casey in her fourth poetry collection. With a strong focus on exploring the narratives of womanhood and what it means to be a woman in society, Casey’s “intricate and loaded” collection demonstrates a depth of poetic craft. Taking both a birds-eye view and an aggressive close-up look at various feminine experiences, Casey leaves us with both heartache and warmth, reminding us that there is always joy and moments of deep love to be found amongst everything.
Read our full review here.
How to Make a Basket by Jazz Money
Published: Aug. 2021, UQP Books
“Simmering with protest and boundless love,” Jazz Money’s awaited David Unaipon Award-winning collection examines the tensions of contemporary living within the Australian colony. Scathing, funny, and lyrical, Money celebrates Blak and queer love while simultaneously using her words as an “extension of protest against the violence of the colonial state.” Described as fiercely political, Money’s powerful voice demands a revision of Australia’s ‘known’ history. Writing in both Wiradjuri and English, Money explores place, bodies and memory, and “the ways our ancestors walk with us, speak through us and wait for us.” Intense and moving, Money’s work is a vital reminder for everything that must not be forgotten.
Everything, All At Once: Fiction and poetry from 30 of Australia’s best writers under 30
Published: Oct. 2021, Ultimo Press
While not a poetry collection in its entirety, I would be remiss to leave this from this list since half of the anthology comprises some of the most compelling poetry I have read this year. Featuring works of poetry from fifteen poets under the age of thirty, the diversity and depth of themes included testifying the breadth of experiences young people face across contemporary Australia. From established and emerging writers alike (for some, this is the first time their work has been published), the quality of writing and joy of seeing some of your own thoughts, ideas and emotions so perfectly imbued in their words should not be missed.
Read our full review here.
Theory of Colours by Bella Li
Published: Aug. 2021, Vagabond Press
Bella Li’s third collection, Theory of Colours, takes its title from the influential nineteenth-century treatise on colour by Johann Wolfgang Goethe. Moving from the distant past, through the unstable present and into speculative futures, Li uses colour and its absence to explore various visual and thematic conventions. Since adding this to one of our poetry recommendation lists earlier this year, I had to get my hands on a copy (colour theory obsessive that I am), and I was not disappointed. Ghost stories, westerns and science fiction narratives converge through text and image, as Li delivers a startling and unsettling reading experience of “sequence and time, absence and haunting.”
Reflected Fractures by Ren Katō
Published: July. 2021
Reflected Fractures (2021) is Ren Katō's debut self-published poetry collection. Of Japanese and Vietnamese descent, Katō was born in Japan and raised in Australia. He explores themes of romance, alienation and loneliness in modern society throughout the collection through surreal and lyrical poems. Using the digital age to examine familiar interactions around love, relationships and hurt, Katō tackles the question of choosing IRL versus digital. A unique collection with a gritty noir underbelly, Katō’s work is a refreshing addition to the Australian poetry scene.
Read our full review here.
Cactus by Philip Hall
Published: Sept. 2021, Recent Work Press
Philip Hall has been a stable presence across the Australian poetry scene for years, exploring language, land, place, memory and mental health. His latest collection turns inward to a tumultuous period in his life during his forties and fifties; “the grief for his baby son and younger brothers, suicide attempts, self-harming, the premature termination of his career, and the failure of religious belief to explain or console.” Described as a “collection of lamentations,” Hall bravely excavates his lived experiences of poor mental health before returning to a celebration of survival and resilience. In a time when speaking about mental health for men is still a pressing issue, Hall’s collection offers a portrait of courage and a chance for many to feel seen.
Airplane Baby Banana Blanket by Benjamin Dodds
Published: Oct. 2020, Recent Work Press
While not published in 2021 per se, the premise and subject of Dodds’ latest collection is one that I have long been personally interested in. Dodds interprets the bizarre true story of Lucy, a chimpanzee raised as the ‘daughter’ of Oklahoma psychotherapist Dr Maurice Temerlin during the 1960s and 70s. By reimaging Lucy’s life, Dodds offers a creative and complex narrative that is superbly delivered. Lucy has become the subject of other creative writings, but Dodds handles her story, trauma, and care with poignancy and tenderness. Described as unsettling and fascinating in equal measure, this is a collection to spend time with.
Elaine Mead is a freelance writer and book reviewer, currently residing in nipaluna (Hobart), Tasmania. She is passionate about the ways we can use literature to learn from our experiences to become more authentic versions of ourselves and obsessed with showing you photos of her Dachshund puppy. You can find her online under www.wordswithelaine.com.
