Carrying the World

Winner of the Victorian Premier's Literary Award for Poetry 2017

Shortlisted for the Colin Roderick Award 2017

'One of the most compelling voices in Australian poetry this decade' - Overland Literary Journal

A haunting visit to the International Museum of Slavery, in Liverpool England. A feisty young black girl pushing back against authority. The joy and despair of single parenthood. A love-hate relationship with words.

ABIA and Indie award winning author Maxine Beneba Clarke (author of Foreign Soil and The Hate Race) is one of Australia's most innovative and celebrated poets. This collection brings the best of a decade-long international poetry career to the page.

“Maxine Beneba Clarke is on fire. These poems sizzle and flare with radiant heat, with pride, anger, power. - BooktopiaCarrying the World is impressive in its passion and vigour. Clarke's writing, in this collection and in The Hate Race alike, is fresh, and her voice is confident, and unlike anything else in our literary landscape. - The Sydney Morning Herald, The Saturday Age, Canberra Times Carrying the World encapsulates the extraordinary journey of a single black mother, poet and author within an industry dominated by white men and women. - CorditeClarke is a confident and highly skilled writer - Hannah KentOne of the most compelling voices in Australian poetry this decade. - Overland[Of Maxine's work] amazing - Tim Minchin”

Maxine Beneba Clarke is on fire. These poems sizzle and flare with radiant heat, with pride, anger, power. - Booktopia

Carrying the World is impressive in its passion and vigour. Clarke's writing, in this collection and in The Hate Race alike, is fresh, and her voice is confident, and unlike anything else in our literary landscape. - The Sydney Morning Herald, The Saturday Age, Canberra Times

Carrying the World encapsulates the extraordinary journey of a single black mother, poet and author within an industry dominated by white men and women. - Cordite

Clarke is a confident and highly skilled writer - Hannah Kent

One of the most compelling voices in Australian poetry this decade. - Overland

[Of Maxine's work] amazing - Tim Minchin

Maxine Beneba Clarke is an Australian poet and writer of Afro-Caribbean descent. She is the ABIA and Indie award-winning author of Carrying the World (2016), Foreign Soil (2017) and The Hate Race (2018). She is the author of five books for children, including the CBCA and Boston Globe/Horn Prize award-winning picture book The Patchwork Bike (2016, illustrated by Van T Rudd), and the critically acclaimed Wide Big World (2018, illustrated by Isobel Knowles). Maxine is the author-illustrator of two picture books, Fashionista (2019) and When We Say Black Lives Matter (2020). She also illustrated the picture book 11 Words for Love (2022), written by Randa Abdel-Fattah. We Know A Place is the third picture book she has both written and illustrated.

Winner of the Victorian Premier's Literary Award for Poetry 2017 Shortlisted for the Colin Roderick Award 2017'One of the most compelling voices in Australian poetry this decade' - Overland Literary JournalA haunting visit to the International Museum of Slavery, in Liverpool England. A feisty young black girl pushing back against authority. The joy and despair of single parenthood. A love-hate relationship with words.ABIA and Indie award winning author Maxine Beneba Clarke (author of Foreign Soil and The Hate Race ) is one of Australia's most innovative and celebrated poets. This collection brings the best of a decade-long international poetry career to the page.

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