Black Life
by Jack Davis

With an introduction from two-times Miles Franklin Award-winning author Kim Scott, Black Life honours Aboriginal heritage through its rich traditions and poignant reflections.

A$19.99

(Paperback)

Ships on 2/06/2026

Overview

From award-winning playwright, author and activist Jack Davis comes this important and essential poetry collection. Black Life is a powerful and unflinching exploration of Aboriginal identity, resilience and resistance.

Through vivid imagery and lyrical honesty, Davis gives voice to the struggles and triumphs of First Nations people, confronting themes of dispossession, cultural survival, and the enduring strength of community.

His poetry is both deeply personal and profoundly political, weaving together stories of pain and hope to challenge readers and celebrate the richness of Aboriginal heritage. Black Life stands as a testament to Davis’s role as a leading voice in Australian literature and a tireless advocate for justice.

Details

Jack Davis

Jack Davis (1917−2000) began writing when he was fourteen years old. The fourth child in a family of eleven, he spent his childhood in the West Australian mill town of Yarloop. He worked for several years as a stockman in the north before returning to Perth and settling into full-time writing and a long life of service to the Aboriginal cause. His poetry collections include The First-Bornand Other Poems (1970), Jagardoo: Poems from Aboriginal Australia (1978), John Pat and Other Poems (1988) and Black Life (1992). His plays include No Sugar, Barungin, Honey Spot, Kullark, The Dreamers and In Our Town. In l991 his memoir A Boy’s Life was published. He has received numerous distinctions including the British Empire Medal, the Order of Australia and honorary doctorates from the universities of Murdoch and Western Australia. An inaugural David Unaipon Award judge, he served as judge on the panel from 1988 to 1996.