The Domesticity of Giraffes

The Domesticity of Giraffes, Judith Beveridge’s first book, was one of the most widely read poetry volumes of the 1990s. First published in 1987 by Black Lightning Press, it won the Dame Mary Gilmore Award, the New South Wales Premier’s Poetry Prize, and the Victorian Premier’s Poetry Prize; remarkable accolades for a debut collection. Poems from this book were popular on high school curricula for many years, and some are still used in schools. Judith’s subsequent books include Accidental Grace (UQP, 1996) and Wolf Notes (Giramondo, 2003), which have between them garnered the Judith Wright Calanthe Award for Poetry and a second Victorian Premier’s Award. Judith has also received the Philip Hodgins Award for excellence in literature (2005).