Arelhekenhe Angkentye: Women’s Talk -Akeyulerre Healing Centre

Women from throughout the arid dessert regions of Australia gathered in Alice Springs in February 2019 to attend a festival with the theme of Lyapirtneme, an Arrernte word meaning growing back, to talk ‘women’s business’, share company, food and participate in discussion, to take some time out from their busy life caring for their mob and create poetry.

Out of that came this powerful collection of simple words from the women, Arelherkenhe Angkentye Women’s Talk, from many whom had never placed words on paper to tell about their life, their struggles, healing, culture and the world around them. Many of the pieces were written on small pieces of paper, some round, some square, not large pieces of paper at all, just enough for a few words.

For many it took great courage to write how they felt but in the doing they have created a lasting memory, a gift of understanding of reaching out with words from ‘their country’, their culture and their life.

The work was never intended to form a book, but such was the flow of words, the rich telling of the poems that a crowd funding was done with the end result, Arelherkenhe Angkentye Women’s Talk.

There is healing in this poetry. These are our words.From our country. Our lands. Our spirits. For all the troubles we face every day, we are a passionate people. When we hear these poems, we know, we are lovers of life. It features poems written by over twenty Arrernte women around the refreshing Arrernte concept of Lyapirtneme. It is an important contribution to the growing body of First Nations literature, particularly from remote Australia.The extraordinary body of one hundred poems that constitute this volume of a new annual ‘best of’ series, Best of Australian Poems, the two poems by Arrente poets, Theresa Penangke Alice and Shirley Kngwarraye Turner, shimmer. Two completely different poems, ‘Metal bird’ and ‘Family are like rocks’, but both emanating a profound generosity of knowledge and voice. We are gratefully richer for such ‘Women’s Talk’ gifts, but for myself, as a reader, I actually feel life-changed.’ – Jacinta Le Plastrier, CEO Australian Poetry’Lyapirtneme is an Arrernte word that means growing back, returning. It’s like if a bushfire went through the land, and all the trees burnt down, and the roots underground are still alive. When the rain comes you see little shoots growing out of the bottom of the tree, growing back again.’ – Therese Perrurle Ryder, Arrernte Elder’I love this book. It holds so much value. Each poem is a gift and it has been put together with so much care.’