Dakota Feirer
Arsenic Flower
Hachette Australia, 2025
SHORTLISTED FOR THE 2026 ACT LITERARY AWARD FOR POETRY
A stunning poetry collection from black&write! fellowship winner Dakota Feirer.
In this breathtaking debut collection, Bundjalung and Gumbaynggirr man Dakota Feirer potently explores the legacy of generational trauma and the cultural wisdom of First Nations people. In a landscape of loss, his words act as both spear and shield.
With dazzling imagery and rhythms inspired by lo-fi hip-hop, these poems confront the violence of colonialism that echoes still in the complexities of blak masculinity.
Drawing on cultural memories sprung from stolen Country, bloodstained soil, broken promises and poisoned waterholes, Feirer's words roar and whisper as he gives voice to silenced histories.
Arsenic Flower is a stunning mosaic of intimate poetry. These words are spears pointing toward truth and shattering the myth that we are all equal on stolen land.
“Dakota Feirer’s writing carries the force of a lightning strike and the flow of an ancient river current. This collection is overflowing with rhythm, wisdom and urgency. A startlingly fresh voice.”
About the Author
Dakota Feirer is a First Nations Australian (Bundjalung and Gumbaynggirr) storyteller with his work published in Overland literary journal, Wonderground journal, Rabbit Poetry and Australian Poetry. His work consists of poems, prose and spoken word performances that engage with Country, culture, resurgence and manhood. Dakota believes in healing Country and our communities through art and storytelling.
