Swimmer in the Dust

For me, The Mirror Hurlers (Puncher & Wattmann) was one of 2019's best books of poetry. Ross Gillett's latest book, Swimmer in the Dust, builds upon this rich legacy, displaying a mastery of tone and tonal drift, of nuance and ambiguity. He is a poet possessed of a receptivity, an openness to difference; and the possessor of extraordinary emotional intelligence. Gillett's poetic vision continues to grow. - John A Scott

The eponymous swimmer in the dust appears at almost the exact midpoint of this delicate and thoughtful collection, providing a startling fulcrum for the arc of these poems. They move through a series of landscapes, both internal and external, experiencing the elements in a quietly observant, and sometimes poignant, voice. We are eventually led up into the clouds, where we are invited to contemplate what we have learned about ourselves. A wonderful, subtle contribution to Australian poetry. - Debi Hamilton

Whether Ross Gillett considers his memories of youth, the impact of a storm overhead, the intertwining of myth and personal passion, or the materials of poetic language, he writes poems of wit, emotional sincerity, and intellectual probity. - Professor Richard Perry

One of the many good things in Swimmer in the Dust is the way the Southern Ocean blurs, at times, with the Aegean and the Atlantic. This is a very oceanic book. - Ian Crittenden

Ross Gillett's poems have been published widely and have won or been short-listed in many awards, including the Newcastle Poetry Prize, the John Shaw Nielson Award and the Blake and Peter Porter Poetry Prizes. He lives on Dja Dja Wurrung country in Daylesford in the Central Highlands of Victoria.