mother bird by Sharon Zhang

About the book: mother bird is a poetry collection about the violent reifications and liminalities of femininity. Searching for a memory of girlhood that transcends space and time, mother bird sees the world as inextricably filled with a vivid and innate gorgeousness—smashed glass bottles are mistaken for stars, whiskey is suddenly ocean foam. These poems contend with the violence of the nation-state project and bodily survival, all the while seeking for the softness inherent to the world.

About the author: Sharon Zhang is an Asian-Australian, Melbourne-based poet and author. Her work has been recognised by HAD, GASHER, Rust + Moth, and elsewhere. She is a mentee at Ellipsis Writing and an editor at Polyphony Lit. She is a 2022 Foyle Young Poet of the year. Outside of writing, she enjoys collecting CDs, scrolling endlessly on her phone, and thinking about Hegel a touch more than that which is necessary. Find her on Instagram and Twitter, on her website sharonzhang.weebly.com, or taking pictures of curiously round pigeons in Melbourne Central.