Evelyn Araluen Sweeps Victorian Premier's Literary Awards with "The Rot"
Evelyn Araluen has been awarded the $100,000 Victorian Prize for Literature and the $25,000 Victorian Premier's Prize for Indigenous Writing for her second poetry collection, "The Rot." The collection, described by judges as "formally inventive and ethically rigorous," explores themes including political urgency, social climate issues, and the impact of institutional violence.
Awards and Recognition
Araluen, a Goorie and Koori poet, received the top honor, the Victorian Prize for Literature, and the Indigenous writing category award at this year's Victorian Premier's Literary Awards. This significant recognition follows her 2022 Stella Prize win for her debut collection, "Dropbear," which was also shortlisted for three premier's literary prizes.
"The Rot" was selected from nearly 700 entries and was also shortlisted in the poetry category, demonstrating its widespread acclaim.
Judges described "The Rot" as "formally inventive and ethically rigorous."
"The Rot": Themes and Genesis
"The Rot" was written over several months in the past year. Araluen had initially not planned to write poetry again following burnout after "Dropbear." However, taking a full-time academic position provided "the safety to be able to write more," she stated.
Araluen described the period of writing "The Rot" as "a really panicked, distressed window of a time," acknowledging that prolonged focus on traumatic subjects was "irresponsible."
The collection addresses multiple meanings of 'rot', exploring a wide range of critical issues:
- Challenges related to housing.
- Internet link rot.
- Personal grief following the deaths of community Elders.
- Government investments in weapons manufacturers and private prisons.
- Gender and institutionalized violence under colonialism and capitalism, described as an "ode to girlhood."
Araluen highlighted a particularly poignant theme:
"Witnessing a genocide and the feeling of inertia and grief and rage and passivity that sits in the body when you feel so powerless against our government’s complicity in that genocide."
Araluen stated her aim for the book was to "very clearly documented that we knew what was happening in our names and we did not stop it," and she expressed hope that the book would eventually become dated, indicating future political change.
Judges characterized "The Rot" as "a work of remarkable poetic intelligence; formally bold, emotionally exacting and politically uncompromising," and "a vital intervention in this country’s cultural conversation."
Inspiration and Public Reaction
An incident at Adelaide Writers' Week in 2024 significantly influenced the collection's development. During a reading from "The Rot," Araluen referred to Israel’s actions in Gaza as a genocide, which provoked a strong audience reaction, including heckling. Araluen noted encountering both opposition and support during the event.
Philanthropic Intent and Advocacy
Araluen plans to donate a portion of her prize money to Sisters Inside, an Aboriginal-led organization supporting incarcerated women, and to organizations providing relief in Gaza.
She has also publicly called on the Australian government to reform the taxation of arts prizes. She highlighted that while some awards, such as the prime minister’s literary awards, are tax-free, others, including the Stella Prize and state premier literary awards, are taxed as income.
Araluen cited the Stella Prize being taxed at nearly 50% as an example of how this can financially disrupt artists, emphasizing that other countries often have different taxation laws for artists.
Other 2026 Victorian Premier’s Literary Award Winners
The Victorian Premier’s Literary Awards, presented annually since 1985, also recognized other works across various categories:
- Fiction: "Fierceland" by Omar Musa
- Non-fiction: "Find Me at the Jaffa Gate: An Encyclopaedia of a Palestinian Family" by Micaela Sahhar
- Poetry: "KONTRA" by Eunice Andrada
- Drama: "Super" by Emilie Collyer
- Children’s Literature: "Once I Was a Giant" by Zeno Sworder
- John Marsden Prize for Writing for Young Adults: "This Stays Between Us" by Margot McGovern
- Unpublished Manuscript: "The Kookaburra" by Charlotte Guest
- People’s Choice Award: "Discipline" by Randa Abdel-Fattah