The Rot

The scorching, much-anticipated new book from the winner of the 2022 Stella Prize for 'Dropbear'

Shortlisted, 2026 Victorian Premier’s Literary Awards – Poetry
Shortlisted, 2026 Victorian Premier’s Literary Awards – Indigenous Writing

'The Rot' is a recalcitrant study of the decaying romances, expired hopes and abject injustices of the world. A liturgy for girlhood in the dying days of late-stage capitalism, these poems expose fraying nerves and tendons of a speaker refusing to avert their gaze from the death of Country, death on Country, and the bloody violence of settler colonies here and afar. Across sleepless nights, fractured alliances and self-destructive coping strategies, 'The Rot' is what happens when poetry swallows more rage than it can console or quiet – this book demands you ready yourself for a better world.

Pages: 144, Paperback

Published: November 2025