Published in Overland Issue 232 Spring 2018 · Uncategorized Judge’s notes | PEN Mildura Indigenous Writers Award Natalie Harkin The past is always with us and carried over into the future, and this was evident in all submissions to the Mildura Indigenous Writers Award. The writing was diverse, engaging and overall very moving. History as ‘past-present-future’ was a strong theme. The task of judging the award was both an honour and a challenge given the diverse entries, which were all excellent. Each piece told a great story with poignant insight to the writers’ lives and histories through humour, warmth, and a deep love of family and place. Maya Hodge’s poem ‘Her Eyes’, the 2017 co-winner, portrays moving and direct insights to unique stories of resilience and cultural/family pride against history’s odds. Congratulations to Mildura’s community of Aboriginal writers and storytellers! May you continue to support each other create great work, and to share your important stories from your beautiful part of the world. Supported by PEN Melbourne, the Copyright Agency Cultural Fund and the Mildura Writers Festival Image: Pier (Mildura) / flickr Read the rest of Overland 232 If you enjoyed this piece, buy the issue Or subscribe and receive four outstanding issues for a year Natalie Harkin Natalie Harkin is a Narungga woman, a member of the Chester family in South Australia. She is a lecturer and academic advisor at the Office of Indigenous Strategy and Engagement, Flinders University, and her PhD research is an archival-poetic journey through the state’s Aboriginal family archives. Her first collection of poetry, Dirty Words, was published by Cordite Books in 2015. More by Natalie Harkin › 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 18 December 202418 December 2024 · Nakata Brophy Prize Dawning in the rivulet of my father’s mourning Yasmin Smith My father floats words down Toonooba each morning. They arrive to me by noon. / Nothing diminishes in his unfolding, not even the currents in midwinter June. / He narrates the sky prehistorically like a cadence cutting him into deluge. 16 December 202416 December 2024 · Palestine Learning to see in the dark Alison Martin Images can represent a splice of reality from the other side of the world, mirror truths about ourselves and our collective humanity we can hardly bear to face. But we can also use them to recognise the patterns of dehumanisation that have manifested throughout history, and prevent their awful conclusions in the present. To rewrite in real time our most shameful histories before they are re-made on the world stage and in our social media feeds.
