beautiful changelings by Maxine Beneba Clarke

my heart was asking
at every turn, and
as sure as i breathed:

would i want this
for my daughter,

and if not,

why on earth
should it be
good enough

for me
beautiful changelings is an incantation, a song, a war cry, a testimonial, a lament, a reckoning and a welcoming. Wrecking-ball revisitings of the myths, mantras and fairy tales fed to girls. Poignant, unashamed tributes to ageing, womanhood, motherhood, and reclaiming your dreams, your boundaries and your time.

This explosive new collection celebrates women and girls as the enigmatic wonders they are: beautiful changelings.

About the Author:

Maxine Beneba Clarke is one of Australia’s most celebrated poets. She is the author of over fourteen books, including the bestselling memoir The Hate Race, the ABIA and Indie award-winning short fiction collection Foreign Soil, the Victorian Premier’s Award-winning poetry collection Carrying the World, the ABIA award-winning poetry collection It’s the Sound of the Thing, the Kate Greenaway Medal longlisted illustrated poem When We Say Black Lives Matter and the CBCA honour book The Patchwork Bike, which also won the Boston Globe Horn Prize for Best Picture Book. She was the inaugural Peter Steele Poet in Residence at The University of Melbourne.

28 Oct 2025

beautiful changelings by Maxine Beneba Clarke ISBN 9781761154560