Review by Stacey O’Carroll
Author: Nardi Simpson
Publisher: Hachette
RRP: $32.99
Release Date: 25 September 2024
“The entire space was filled with the orange and cinnamon scent of warming mulled wine.”
Is there anything more magical than when words dance and sing on the page? When they not only tell a story, they create a rhythm all of their own and evoke intense feelings and reflection. Nardi Simpson, the award-winning Yuwaalaraay author of Song of the Crocodile, follows her successful debut with the lyrical Belburd.
“It was Eel Mother who told me I began as a bubble from a whale. ‘Great Whale himself,’ she said, ‘sent you to me. You have been the greatest gift I have ever received.’”
Simpson’s Belburd tells the story of Ginny Dilboong and Sprite. Ginny is a young poet who uses her art to find meaning and her place in the world as a creative and a woman. Set in Sydney, we follow the determined Ginny as she explores space and those who walk within it. Her interactions inspire poetry, which leads to understanding and connection. Interspersed between Ginny’s story is the fable-like tale of Sprite. The reader follows Sprite through birth, exploration of the strange and magical aspects of the living world, and understanding their place in the world. Sprite and Ginny are on separate journeys of exploration, yet they are connected.
“This set off a wave of questions. They tumbled out from birth spirits all through the mound. No one seemed interested in the answers. Any space was immediately filled by another question.”
Belburd is a tale of belonging, womanhood, connection, and the circle of life. Each character’s story unfolds in parallel, yet they are connected in a cyclic narrative. So much so, the ending leaves readers with a sense the story is just beginning again. Both Sprite and Ginny are in search of understanding and belonging. Simpson weaves Ginny’s poetry into her chapters so that, like the character, they are buried within the text to birth a new creation. Beyond the character’s poetry, Simpson’s lyrical prose shimmers with energy and passion, drawing deeper meaning from the evocative imagery.
“She spoke slowly. ‘My job is to leave those little ones in places to go into their mum. I have spent lifetimes inventing ways to take children to their mothers. It is my life’s work.”
One of the more poignant aspects of Belburd is the powerful message of motherhood and how women create life. Tying back to the concept of Mother Earth is Mother Eel, the creator of Sprite and life. The strength of mothers and the sacrifice they undertake for their children is brought to the forefront in Simpson’s tale. Although the sections on Sprite and Mother Eel were beautifully written, unfortunately, early on, the parallel story felt at times like a completely different story. However, this disconnection is fleeting, and the stories float around each other like ripples on a tide pool.
“Ginny stood, her writing and the worm gone. From the rampway there was nothing to say anything at all had happened – no worm trail, no disturbed dirt, no paper, or words to bear a story’s witness.”
Poets are inspired by the world around them and the observations they make. In Belburd, Simpson’s exploration through Ginny perfectly captures the bowerbird nature of creativity and reminds readers that the mediums they create on come from the earth. Even technology relies on metals and elements drawn from the earth.
“Crouching, she dug a hole and planted the poem.”
Belburd is another poignant novel by the talented Nardi Simpson. With its intriguing cover, Belburd is for readers who love lyrical prose or stories with deeper meaning. Although the style of the text may polarise some readers, Simpson’s Belburd is an essential read this summer.