Local Aboriginal poet, Barrina South, will be launching her debut poetry collection ‘Makarra’ at The Queanbeyan Hive. The poetry collection will be launched by the Deputy Mayor of QPRC Esma Livermore and visitors will have the opportunity to hear Barrina briefly discuss and read poems from her recent collection in conversation with her editor from Recent Work Press.

Barrina believes that each of her poems has a secret addressee, and in opening her debut collection you may find your poem. Her debut poetry collection is titled Makarra, a Barkindji word for rain. Makarra is reflected in her poems, rain nourishes her words, water cleanses her thoughts and refreshes the path for her onwards life journey. The poems in this collection were written over the past few years in various locations: riverbanks; hospital; corridors; writers retreats; oceans; in the leaf litter photographing fungi; by the fire with her two dogs; hotel rooms on business trips. She is inspired by all the poets that have walked beside her and have written words to fuel the fires for positive change and peace.