A review by jkreads
Dropbear by Evelyn Araluen

challenging emotional reflective slow-paced

5.0

Dropbear is a collection of poetry and essays by Bundjalung poet Evelyn Araluen. It is a searing commentary on modern-day Australia, weaving through the common tropes and iconography that Australia is known for and contextualising them through the lens of settler-colonialism. There is so much beauty, reverence and hope intertwined with pain, rage and generational trauma in Araluen’s words, and to me these poems and essays are such a beautiful example of the deep connection that Aboriginal culture has with the land and how important it is for this to be centred and celebrated. This feels like an especially important read as we approach Invasion Day on Jan 26. This would make a wonderful introduction to poetry, I highly recommend it!

My favourite works in this collection are:
- Learning Bundjalung on Tharawal
- PYRO
- Malay
- Acknowledgement of Country
- See You Tonight
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