The first published collection of poetry by Australian literary legend Thea Astley. This exciting collection by Australian literary legend Thea Astley brings together for the first time many poems that have never been seen or published. Winning multiple prizes for her fiction, including four Miles Franklin Awards, Astley's earliest ambition was to write poetry. It remained her private passion throughout her student days and into adulthood. These surprising and satisfying poems chart her development as a writer, evoking wartime Brisbane, the natural landscape and small-town life.