Jump to content

The Jaguar (poetry collection)

Add links
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Jaguar
AuthorSarah Holland-Batt
GenrePoetry
PublisherUniversity of Queensland Press
Publication date
3/5/2022
Publication placeAustralia
Pages144
Awards2023 Stella Prize
ISBN9780702265501

The Jaguar is a 2022 poetry collection by Australian poet Sarah Holland-Batt. The collection explores the death of Holland-Batt's father following a struggle with Parkinson's disease and dementia. The Jaguar was the recipient of the 2023 Stella Prize and the 2023 Queensland Premier's Award for a Work of State Significance, and was shortlisted for the Prime Minister's Literary Award for Poetry and the New South Wales Premier's Literary Award for Poetry.[1]

Background

[edit]

Sarah Holland-Batt is a professor of Creative Writing at the Queensland University of Technology and the author of two previous poetry collections — Aria (2008) and The Hazards (2015).[2] Her father, Dr Anthony Holland-Batt, suffered from Parkinson's disease for 20 years before his death in 2020, and developed dementia in his later years.[3] He experienced abuse and neglect during his time in aged care facilities, leading Sarah Holland-Batt to become an activist for improvements to aged care conditions.[4] She gave testimony at the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety and has written extensively on her father's experiences in care.[5][6] The Jaguar has been described as an extension of her activism, with Holland-Batt describing conditions in aged care facilities as a "human rights crisis" that demands greater public attention.[4][7]

Reception

[edit]

The Jaguar received positive reviews in Australian Poetry Review,[8] The Sydney Morning Herald,[9] The Conversation,[10] The Times Literary Supplement[11] and Australian Book Review.[12] The collection was described by the Stella Prize judges as consisting of "tender, memorable poems that capture grief and loss and love through unforgettable imagery, often blended with humour".[2] Reviewers praised Holland-Batt's highly metaphorical use of language and her exploration of themes of death and illness.[9][8] Writing in The Conversation, Julieanne Lamond wrote that Holland-Batt's poetry features "a combination of ruthlessness and tenderness, clear-eyed witness and imaginative flight".[10]

Awards

[edit]
Awards for The Jaguar
Year Award Result Ref.
2022 The Australian Book of the Year Winner [13]
2023 Stella Prize Winner [2]
Margaret and Colin Roderick Literary Award Winner [14]
Queensland Premier's Award for a Work of State Significance Winner [15]
Prime Minister's Literary Award for Poetry Shortlisted [16]
New South Wales Premier's Literary Award for Poetry Shortlisted [17]
Griffin Poetry Prize Longlisted [18]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "The Jaguar". University of Queensland Press. Archived from the original on 17 December 2024. Retrieved 3 February 2025.
  2. ^ a b c "The Jaguar – Sarah Holland Batt". Stella Prize. Retrieved 1 February 2025.
  3. ^ Steger, Jason (27 April 2023). "How a father's death led to his daughter's Stella prize-winning poetry". Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on 19 July 2024. Retrieved 1 February 2025.
  4. ^ a b Stafford, Andrew (14 May 2022). "Sarah Holland-Batt on fighting for her father: 'Watching someone decline can be beyond language'". The Guardian. Retrieved 1 February 2025.
  5. ^ Holland-Batt, Sarah (29 April 2022). "Morrison says he can't make aged care nurses fall from the sky. Sounds like he's not even trying". The Guardian. Retrieved 1 February 2025.
  6. ^ Wiggins, Nick (7 August 2019). "Father 'sadistically' abused at nursing home, daughter tells aged care royal commission". ABC. Archived from the original on 30 September 2024. Retrieved 1 February 2025.
  7. ^ Lucas, Janine (7 September 2023). "Queensland poet unleashes power and precision in The Jaguar". State Library of Queensland. Archived from the original on 16 August 2024. Retrieved 1 February 2025.
  8. ^ a b Duwell, Martin (1 July 2023). "Sarah Holland-Batt: The Jaguar". Australian Poetry Review. Archived from the original on 4 November 2024. Retrieved 1 February 2025.
  9. ^ a b Page, Geoff (12 May 2022). "An affecting meditation on mortality". Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on 22 July 2024. Retrieved 1 February 2025.
  10. ^ a b Lamond, Julieanne (27 April 2023). "Sarah Holland-Batt wins the 2023 Stella Prize with a powerful look at death and ageing". The Conversation. Archived from the original on 9 May 2023. Retrieved 1 February 2025.
  11. ^ Savige, Jaya (31 January 2025). "A world in ultra-high definition". The Times Literary Supplement. Retrieved 3 February 2025.
  12. ^ Mason, David (June 2022). "Consoled by language". Australian Book Review. Archived from the original on 3 November 2024. Retrieved 1 February 2025.
  13. ^ "Love of her father endures in the wonder of words". The Australian. 9 December 2022. Archived from the original on 15 January 2023. Retrieved 1 February 2025.
  14. ^ "'The Jaguar' catches 2023 Roderick Literary Award". James Cook University. 6 October 2023. Archived from the original on 26 December 2024. Retrieved 1 February 2025.
  15. ^ Cain, Sian (6 September 2023). "Sarah Holland-Batt wins $25,000 top prize at Queensland literary awards". The Guardian. Retrieved 1 February 2025.
  16. ^ "Prime Minister's Literary Awards". Creative Australia. Archived from the original on 29 December 2024. Retrieved 1 February 2025.
  17. ^ "NSW Premier's Literary Awards 2023 shortlists announced". Books+Publishing. 2 March 2023. Archived from the original on 19 January 2024. Retrieved 1 February 2025.
  18. ^ "2023 Longlist Announcement". Griffin Poetry Prize. 15 March 2023. Retrieved 1 February 2025.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Jaguar_(poetry_collection)&oldid=1274900132"