Motherlode

Motherlode is the first major collection of Australian women's poetry in over a decade. More than 120 poets share the telling of a very contemporary story of identity - how we see ourselves as, and in relation to, mothers, grandmothers and children. Judith Wright, Gwen Harwood, Dorothy Hewett, and Oodgeroo Noonuccal appear alongside the major poets of today, including Judith Beveridge, Jan Owen, MTC Cronin, J.S. Harry, joanne burns and Tracy Ryan. Indigenous poets and fresh new voices give Motherlode an edge and intelligence that will by turn surprise, sadden and delight. These poems traverse a wide range of themes: nature, icons, pregnancy, birth, parenting, the daily grind, childlessness, loss, past generations and ageing. Jennifer Harrison has written four books of poetry and one collaborative collection. Her first book, Michelangelo's Prisoners, won the 1995 Anne Elder Award and was shortlisted for National Book Council's Banjo Awards. Folly & Grief, her fourth collection, was published in 2006 by Black Pepper. She lives in Melbourne with her partner and her two children. Kate Waterhouse's first book Keep Breathing was published by Five Islands Press in 2006. Recently her work has appeared in Meanjin, FourW, Blue Dog, Poetry Without Borders and on ABC Radio National's Poetica. She lives in Sydney with her partner and three young daughters.