Since 1954, Overland has been at the avant-garde of poetry publishing in Australia, featuring aesthetically and politically challenging work by a diverse range of poets, while unearthing new poets. In more recent years, the Overland Judith Wright Poetry Prize for New and Emerging Poets and the Nakata Brophy Prize have furthered Overland’s commitment to fostering new voices. Many of the poets discovered in these annual prizes have become regular contributors to the journal and the broader literary ecosphere. 

With the advent of Overland’s new website, readers will soon gain free access to all the poems ever published in our print magazine, from this very early gem of a calligram, or shape poem (which is also a lament and a protest poem), ‘Song of the A-bomb’ by Nancy Cato, from the July issue of 1956: 

Song of the A-bomb

Suffer, little children

to come unto me, in disintegrated

p a r t i c l e s   o f   r a d i o a c t i v e  dust;

children of HIroshima, with the smoke and fire,

heavenward     ascending     in    a    glorious   blast.

They who gathered mushrooms on autumn hillsides,

who  did  their  morning  exercises,  singing  happily,

have left

the earth

behind them

and in a

monstrous

mushroom

risen to

the cruel sky

where  heaven  used  to  be.

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And the environmental work of poets like Coral Hull, who is worth revisiting: 

she-oaks in the grey mist were roaring like trains 

the she-oaks in the grey mist were roaring like trains,

on a still day, they will pick up the slightest breeze,

the land is talking, a train approaching from all directions,

she-oaks, a few left standing in a grey winter field,

if you stand long enough to listen to the roar,

a paddock of she-oaks on the way to deniliquin,

dirty grey bark and when there were trees on the land,

many she-oaks and grey box and dry sclerophyll forest,

there would have been many levels of roaring,

liberate yourself by walking in a paddock off the highway

past the crown land and stock route, keep going in order to die,

the she-oaks are out there, talking to each other,

beyond recognition, the mist rain gently hanging, filtering,

to the point of saturation, dropping down through them, 

the large black ants are wriggling slowly, hiding in their holes,

are clicking their iron bodies, brassy antennas and legs,

deep in timelessness, red holes in the red dirt,

listen to wind roaring through the victorian she-oaks,

like a train approaching from all directions,

whilst you remain in awe of the cold and directionless,

the distance is helping you along, off the cobb highway

away from your vehicle, into paddocks of roaring she-oaks,

sending you further in, upon your strange watery approach 

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This poem appeared in issue #154 from 1999, an issue that, in addition to the usual selection of poems in the print journal, included a special poetry feature edited by former poetry editor Pam Brown, with excellent essays on and poems by 4 poets – Coral Hull alongside John Forbes, Adam Aitken and Judith Wright. Among Wright’s poems in that issue was the republication of ‘At Cooloolah’, an important poem about land, possession and the colonial gaze, always worth returning to. 

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I discuss the poem in the introduction to a new anthology of poetry that Overland will publish very soon – Groundswell: The Overland Judith Wright Poetry Prize for New and Emerging Poets 2007–2020, a historical anthology of 40 poets who won or placed in the prize, and which also contains a slew of other poems of theirs, showing off their development since featuring in the prize. It’s a wild and exciting book of poetry, and I’m looking forward to its release. For today, though, here’s a peak at the front cover: 

Like with prize entries, access to the print journal and other special features, subscribers to Overland will receive discounts on this new anthology!

In solidarity,
Toby Fitch
Poetry editor

So, how does Subscriberthon work? Anyone who subscribes, renews, donates or gives a gift subscription this week goes into three prize draws – Major Prizes, Daily Prizes and Regional Prizes – for the chance to win some truly terrific prizes, including a state-of-the-art turntable, drinks and vinyl pairings, a point-and-shoot vintage camera, a 6-month coffee subscription, digital literature workshops, event and exhibition passes, wine, mountains of books, subscriptions and more!

Take me to the subscription options at once!

Today’s prize:

Work of Art

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A beautiful ‘Coral’ archival pigment print by Matt Chun

A copy of Anne Barnetson‘s Customer Service Wolf and a gorgeous sketch

A limited edition print by cartoonist Sam Wallman

A stunning hardback copy of The Goddess and the City: Kali and Kolkata by Tess Rice (Transit Lounge)

A $30 Bookshop by Uro voucher

A subscription to Going Down Swinging

A Subbed In sticker pack and collection of titles including:

When I Die Slingshot My Ashes Onto The Surface Of The Moon by Jennifer Nguyen

Uncle Hercules And Other Lies edited by Patrick Lenton

Haunte (The Koolie) by Jason Gray

Parenthitcal Bodies by Alex Gallagher

Wheeze by Marcus Whale

A one-year subscription to Crikey

A Clothing the Gaps sticker pack

Major prizes

☟☟☟☟

✎ ✐