Texta Book Club: The Rot by Evelyn Araluen

"Rageful, desireful, artful, sorrowful, hauntful. A blaze of a book." Michelle de Kretser

To coincide with Leah King-Smith: rhythm wRites we will be discussing The Rot by Evelyn Araluen.

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, quiet or ironise – this book demands you ready yourself for a better world.

About Texta

Texta is no ordinary book club; it's for people who love art. We use fiction (mostly) to unpack the subjects, themes and emotions of art. Conversation is never colourless, and is facilitated by our Engagement Coordinator, Renae Belton, and University Librarian Nicole Clark.

Texta is held throughout the year on Tuesday evenings. Purchase this title as an audiobook from Audible.

Image: Leah KING-SMITH Evocations (video still) 2020, digital video, colour, 7:32 minutes. Courtesy of the artist.