In this episode Kate speaks with poet, academic and co-editor of Overland Literary Journal, Evelyn Araluen.
Evelyn Araluen was born and raised on Dharug country and is a descendent of the Bundjalung Nation. Her widely published criticism, fiction and poetry have been awarded the Nakata Brophy Prize for Young Indigenous Writers, the Judith Wright Poetry Prize, a Wheeler Centre Next Chapter Fellowship and a Neilma Sidney Literary Travel Fund Grant. Evelyn’s debut work is Dropbear, published by UQP.
During this interview, we discuss:
- The inspiration behind the poetry and prose in Dropbear
- Co-editing Overland (more here via The Garret podcast)
- How learning Bundjalung language changed the way Evelyn writes
- Working with Ellen Van Neerven
- ‘freeze-framing’ her poems
- Reading habits (more here via KYD Shelf Reflection)
- Do we need to write or do we need to organise?
- How Evelyn structures (or attempts to structure!) her working week
Evelyn’s advice:
Writing as an isolated act is not a healthy way to do it: Go to events, go to launches, submit regularly, be open to learning, be open to community, be open to critique.
She recommends Adam Thompson’s debut collection of short stories, Born Into This, published by UQP
Find Evelyn Araluen’s Dropbear at all good bookstores and follow Evelyn and her writing via twitter.
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