Using a mix of poetry and essay, Araluen critiques a nostalgic view of Australia. She explores language and identity, inviting readers to adopt a different perspective. The judges report that 'Araluen's brilliance sizzles when she goes on the attack against the kitsch and the cuddly: against Australia's fantasy of its own racial and environmental innocence.' She bears witness to the present, and hopes for a decolonial future.
The Chair of the Judging Panel, Melissa Lucashenko, said:
"When you read Evelyn Araluen's Dropbear you'll be taken on a wild ride. Like the namesake of its title, this collection is simultaneously comical and dangerous. If you live here and don't acquire the necessary local knowledge, the drop bear might definitely getcha! But for those initiated in its mysteries, the drop bear is a playful beast, a prank, a riddle, a challenge and a game. Dropbear is remarkably assured for a debut poetry collection, and I think we can safely say it announced the arrival of a stunning new talent to Australian literature."
Araluen received the award and its $50,000 prize money. She will be a guest at the upcoming Sydney Writers' Festival.