In Overland’s 243rd issue, we’re proud to print the results of the inaugural Kuracca prize established honour of Aunty Kerry Reed-Gilbert. We received an enormous number of submissions from writers of all levels of experience, and each of our veteran judges, Jeanine Leane, Elena Gomez and Justin Clemens remarked on the breadth and quality of submissions. Our winning entry came from Adam Brannigan, a registered nurse and previously unpublished writer; his poetic narrative ‘Great grandmother Arrabrilya’ is a powerful reminder of the healing possibilities of language and culture, which so many of us — currently languishing in lockdown — might need. It’s conventional at the moment to opine on the hidden costs and generational sacrifices of the pandemic, which are of course, terrible. Robbo Bennett’s essay ‘The Bridge and the Fire’ articulates a new history of solidarity marginal to headline news, and perhaps points towards other narratives of care and decency currently being written.

Solidarity,
Evelyn Araluen & Jonathan Dunk