Published in Overland Issue 238 Autumn 2020 · Judith Wright Poetry Prize / Judges' report Judith Wright Poetry Prize Judges Notes Michael Farrell, Toby Fitch and Ellen van Neerven ‘No Alarms’ could be said to have a strong tentativeness: in tending towards a prose poem, but not becoming one, in tending toward cutup, but resisting the difficulty of that for its own difficulty (of writing this good poem). ‘No Alarms’, despite its multi-directionality, finds clearings in the mind. Its strong sense of style helps, asking: ‘Are you revolted in the right way?’ and ‘What is the warmest document type?’ This is exemplary rhetorical questioning: the originality and feel for language avoiding the traps of mundanity and complaint. The tonality of the poem is animated through its continual shifting of voice so that despite a great line like ‘Misery during the work shirt donning process’, ‘No Alarms’ is, nonetheless, a poem of warmth and humour. Which can’t hurt when there are almost a year’s worth of Thursdays (the poem’s target work day) still to get through. ‘No language for white man’ disrupts with the textures of a writer exhibiting an innate knowledge of what it is to be othered by language, and one who can reframe the frame into unique song. With an emotive Filipino-Australian slant, and great use of rhythm, lingo and portmanteau, this poem is a clever, musical, and generous gift to any who encounter it. ‘chinny chin chin’ is the most energetic performance on this year’s shortlist, as it portrays the complex emotions (frustration, anxiety, disdain, inertia et al.) of the subject undergoing various moments of racist questioning. Where these moments happen (at an airport, a property inspection, a doctor’s appointment) isn’t the focus, rather their emotional impact. The poem’s use of internal dialogue balances the sarcastic and the scathing, while metaphors are pushed almost to breaking point, mirroring the anger that simmers throughout. With the recent increase in racism toward the Chinese people since the spread of coronavirus, this poem is a powerful retort to casual and ignorant assumptions. Read the rest of Overland 238 If you enjoyed this piece, buy the issue Or subscribe and receive four brilliant issues for a year Michael Farrell Michael Farrell is from Bombala, NSW, and has lived in Melbourne since 1990. Michael’s previous books include: Googlecholia (poems), A Lyrebird (U.S. selected poems); The Victoria Principle (stories), Writing Australian Unsettlement (literary history), and Ashbery Mode (poetry anthology; as editor). Michael edits The Chalamet Review, and is also poetry editor of Westerly. More by Michael Farrell › Toby Fitch Toby Fitch (he/they) is a lecturer in creative writing at the University of Sydney, former poetry editor of Overland, and the author of eight books of poetry, including Sydney Spleen (2021) and Object Permanence: Calligrammes (2022). A ninth collection, Or: An Autobiography, will be published in 2026 by Upswell Publishing. Toby lives on unceded Gadigal land with his partner, their three children and a staffy. More by Toby Fitch › Ellen van Neerven Ellen van Neerven is an award-winning writer, editor and educator of Mununjali Yugambeh and Dutch heritage with strong ancestral ties to south east Queensland. 'Chermy' appears in van Neerven's newly released second poetry collection Throat (UQP, 2020). More by Ellen van Neerven › Overland is a not-for-profit magazine with a proud history of supporting writers, and publishing ideas and voices often excluded from other places. If you like this piece, or support Overland’s work in general, please subscribe or donate. Related articles & Essays 6 March 20265 March 2026 · Prizes Announcing the 2025 Judith Wright Poetry Prize shortlist Editorial team Established in 2007, The Overland Judith Wright Poetry Prize for new and emerging poets is supported by the Malcolm Robertson Foundation. Entrants must have no more than one collection of […] 1 11 April 202517 June 2025 · Poetry Final results of the 2024 Judith Wright Poetry Prize Editorial team Overland, the judges and the Malcolm Robertson Foundation are thrilled to announce the final results of the 2024 Judith Wright Poetry Prize.
