blackbirds don’t mate with starlings

This is a work of activism, fury and hope. Its urgent and purposeful poems contribute to the dismantling of racism, raging against its machinery. It combines performance poetry with poetries of witness and memory, recounting personal experiences of racism as well as historic injustices. The coherence of this collection comes from the incandescent rage that burns from the first poem to the last. Yet there is a measure of compassion here, a compassion that is able to register contradiction and complexity without passing judgement. Ultimately this superb collection directs its imagining towards a just future for the next generation.

Janaka Malwatta was born in Kandy, the hill capital of Sri Lanka, grew up in London, and moved to Brisbane in 2010. He writes poems about his experiences as an immigrant in two continents. He also writes narrative poetry, often exploring Sri Lankan stories. He has performed poetry in Brisbane, including at the Queensland Poetry Festival, and has been published in Cordite Poetry Review, Rabbit Poetry and Peril magazine. He was the Sri Lankan voice on the ESPNCricinfo.com blog The Cordon. He is one half of the poetry and tabla collective Dubla. Janaka Malwatta was born in Kandy, the hill capital of Sri Lanka, grew up in London, and moved to Brisbane in 2010. He writes poems about his experiences as an immigrant in two continents. He also writes narrative poetry, often exploring Sri Lankan stories. He has performed poetry in Brisbane, including at the Queensland Poetry Festival, and has been published in Cordite Poetry Review, Rabbit Poetry and Peril magazine. He was the Sri Lankan voice on the ESPNCricinfo.com blog The Cordon. He is one half of the poetry and tabla collective Dubla.

unburdenings phrases from my youth I am/am I swastika triptych – past present future examinings blackbirds and starlings (conversation nurses’ station Barnet General Hospital 1994) conversation doctor’ s office Brisbane 2013 conversation barbeque Brisbane inner west 2012 how dare they you say passfail imaginings LONDON desert rat, part 1 desert rat, part 2 TERRA AUSTRALIS road to Chinchilla lattice screens and inkdrops QUEENSLAND KANAKA LABOUR TRAFFIC saltwater boys and Marys the returns are all in good health JACK JOHNSON Tommy Burns fight – Rushcutters Bay before the fight after Jim Jeffries fight – Reno before mouthfighting Reno fightday aftermath BORIS JOHNSON piccaninnies pearl of Africa part-Kenyan CHURCHILL in his own words OBAMA in the words of others epilogue my son Notes Acknowledgements