Review of Southerly: India India

To describe this issue of Southerly as a cornucopia of literary riches is an understatement. In his editorial, David Brooks describes it as a ‘show bag’ in the quintessential Australian sense, as he thought this was fairer than attempting to be representative in such a large field as Indian/Australian literary relations.

However, not all the contents are related to the theme of India and David Brooks comments in his editorial that the theme does not consume the entire issue, and that this is usual for the journal. I also think it helps to vary the content, and maintain the reader’s interest, by interspersing non-themed pieces through the journal. Like mixing the poems, stories and essays instead of having them grouped together, it works well.

There are eighteen poets represented, eight short stories and eight essays, plus more in the wonderfully named Long Paddock (http://southerlyjournal.com.au/long-paddock/70-3-india/) the online only section of the journal on the new website. All the reviews for this issue are also placed online due to space restrictions.

The theme was chosen because of the intense interest Indians have in Australian literature, an interest which unfortunately doesn’t seem to be reciprocated to the same degree in Australia for Indian literature (a point noted by Paul Sharrad in his essay, discussed later). Which makes this issue all the more important for continuing and extending that literary conversation between us, and making more readers aware of its richness and diversity.

I read the issue in the order in which the editors presented the works, beginning and ending with poems: Judith Beveridge’s dignified ‘The Deal’ and ‘Little’ from Devadatta’s Poems, through to Ali Alizadeh’s political and angry ‘Election Announced’ and ‘The Bubble’. On the Contents pages, however, everything is arranged according to category, including the ‘Long Paddock’. There is a pleasing balance in the distribution of poetry, stories and essays, exercising and stimulating the mind as it changes gear from one form to another. The poems and stories are particularly strong in this issue, and the essays have an eclectic selection of subjects: Aboriginal and Dalit women’s subjectivity; Mary Louisa Skinner, neglected Australian author; Aboriginal theatre; bogans; immigrant identity in a Hazel Edwards’ novel; and others. It’s of course impossible to address every piece in this review, so I shall focus on a select few that I feel particularly noteworthy.

Continued at TEXT.