Poet. Editor. (Night Owl.)
Libby Hart is an Australian poet who writes about the environment and the human experience. Her books include Burn, Wild, This Floating World and Fresh News from the Arctic. She is the editor of My Name Suspended in the Air, a centenary celebration of the Irish writer Leland Bardwell.
“Libby Hart’s poetry takes the reader into astonishing and beguiling territory.”
— Judith Beveridge
“Be warned, this poetry cannot be taken too quickly or in large swathes. It is a deep drug.”
— Cordite Poetry Review
“I could keep reading this book. Each time I pick it up I find new depths. I love being introduced to new terms, to surprising concatenations of words, to images that take me into unknown worlds. That, after all, is the task of a poet.”
— Plumwood Mountain Journal
“I sense that she would make a poem in whatever way was necessary, which makes for exciting reading.”
— Australian Poetry Journal
“For this poet, the natural world is a miraculous place and we should not be surprised if one animal should suddenly turn into another.”
— The Australian
“Burn ... sings the mood music of our times.”
— Jessica Traynor
“Hart's pared-back diction, powerful metaphors and sense of atmosphere all combine to make this a gripping collection.”
— The Age
“A collection of great generosity.”
— The Canberra Times
“There’s not one wasted word in My Name Suspended in the Air: Leland Bardwell at 100. Leland Bardwell’s diamond poems cut and sparkle more than ever—set beautifully here by editor, Libby Hart.”
— The Irish Times
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Acknowledgement of Country
I acknowledge the First Peoples of the continent and islands of so-called Australia as the Traditional Owners, Custodians and Lore Keepers of the world’s oldest living culture.
I specifically acknowledge the Wadawurrung People as the Traditional Owners of the land on which I am fortunate to be a guest. I pay my deepest respect to the knowledge-holders—Wadawurrung Ancestors and Elders—for their wisdom and strength. And I honour the countless generations who have lived and loved on this ancient land, and the Aboriginal lore, law and Cultural authority practised for millennia. I honour Wadawurrung sovereignty—in all its intricacies and layers of Country—so interconnected with stories, seasons, migration and Cultural knowledge.
Citing Cherokee Nation citizen, Joseph M. Pierce, ‘land is a gift, a relative, a body that sustains other bodies’. [1] As a guest on Wadawurrung land’s ‘animate multiplicities’ [2] I am mindful of the underlands and all who live below us. I try my best to step lightly on the ground beneath my feet. I’m thankful for the waterways and the life they bring. I’m forever grateful to the wind. I cherish sky and star countries and the many creatures, plants and organisms who live alongside us. Everything and everyone is connected within this ‘ongoing enactment of reciprocity’. [3]
[1] J.M. Pierce, ‘Your Land Acknowledgment Is Not Enough,’ Hyperallergic, 12 October 2022. hyperallergic.com.
[2] Ibid.
[3] Ibid.