Two for two? Stella prize winner Evelyn Araluen nominated again for second poetry collection
Why it matters: The Stella Prize awards $60,000 to the winning author, with each shortlisted author receiving $5,000.
- Evelyn Araluen is shortlisted for the Stella Prize for "The Rot," her second poetry collection, four years after winning for "Dropbear."
- "The Rot" explores grief and solidarity, specifically documenting the horror of Israel’s bombardment of Gaza, and was inspired by Araluen being heckled for calling the conflict a genocide.
- Araluen hopes "The Rot" will serve as a record of an "uncomfortable truth" and that it will eventually read as naive, signaling a future where its political ambitions are realized.
- Geraldine Brooks' memoir "Memorial Days" delves into her grief after the sudden death of her partner, journalist Tony Horwitz, reflecting on their life together.
- Miranda Darling's novel "Fireweather" follows a woman grappling with the collapse of her marriage, domestic life, and the climate, requiring her to prove her sanity.
- Lee Lai's graphic novel "Cannon", a second Stella nomination for the non-binary artist, depicts a queer Chinese woman's suppressed emotions erupting.
- Marika Sosnowski's "58 Facets" is a hybrid memoir and investigative nonfiction, examining individuals as beneficiaries and victims of history through her work in Syria and her family's story, including a Holocaust survivor and a figure in the Israeli military's formation.
- Tasma Walton's novel "I Am Nannertgarrook" is also nominated, rounding out a diverse shortlist of six books chosen from 212 entries.
Evelyn Araluen, the first poet to win the Stella Prize, is again shortlisted for her second collection, "The Rot," a powerful exploration of grief and solidarity in the age of doomscrolling, particularly in response to the Gaza conflict. Her nomination alongside works by Geraldine Brooks, Miranda Darling, Lee Lai, Marika Sosnowski, and Tasma Walton highlights a diverse range of voices tackling personal and global crises.
