‘sifting fire writing coast’

‘sifting fire writing coast’ is Elanna Herbert’s first poetry collection. Over fifty per cent of the poems in the manuscript have been published in Australian literary journals or anthologies, with one published in Poetry New Zealand. Elanna has been publishing poetry for around twenty years.

Her collection achieves a vibrant, accessible work of quality which engages current issues related to our physical and social environment.

About the Author

Elanna Herbert was born and raised in Canberra and has lived in rural New South Wales and Western Australia. She writes across the genres of poetry, narrative non-fiction, short fiction and historical fiction.

Elanna has received numerous awards and commendations for her writing. In 2020 she won the June Shenfield National Poetry Award. In 2001 she won the Marion Eldridge Award. Fellowships include: (for poetry) - the South Coast Writers Centre Emerging and Established Writers residential, Bundanon (2022), 'Writing Fire Writing Drought'  fellowship at Varuna, the National Writing House (2020) (for prose) -  the Katharine Susannah Prichard Writers Centre Fellowship (2019). 

Shortlists include:

ACU Prize for Poetry (2021), longlisted in the Flying Islands' press emerging poets unpublished manuscript prize (2022), twice runner-up for Queensland Poetry Festival's emerging older poets mentorship award (2020, 2018) and twice runner-up for the Booranga Poetry Prize (2017, 2019). 

Her debut poetry collection sifting fire writing coast, was published by Walleah Press in 2023. Herbert’s short story collection Frieda and the Cops was runner up, ACT Writing and Publishing Awards (2006). Her academic focus is on Communication and Cultural Studies with a research focus on the intersection of new ways to write historical fiction to reveal a narrative history of marginalised women from Australia's colonial past. She holds a Doctorate in Communication and a Graduate Diploma in Professional Writing from the University of Canberra, and a BA (ANU).