Soft Side of Red

In her debut poetry collection Christine Shamista reflects on her experiences living in Sri Lanka, England and Australia as part of the Sri Lankan Tamil diaspora. Shamista’s poems reveal layers of the self through her journey leaving her ancestral home in the time of civil war and living in and between England and Australia. Her poetry recounts experiences of racism and her discovering delight and pride in race and identity despite these experiences.

Praise for Soft Side of Red

‘With Soft Side of Red, Christine Shamista announces her arrival on Australia’s literary landscape. Deeply affecting, this collection is impossible to put down and impossible to forget. Her words resonate and connect across cultures, countries and generations.’

— Shankari Chandran, author of Chai Time at Cinnamon Gardens, winner of the 2023 Miles Franklin Literary Award

‘Beautiful and smart and blood-drawlingly sharp.’

— Emily Maguire, author of An Isolated Incident and Love Objects

‘I hung onto every word in this collection. It was beautiful, visceral, powerful. An exciting new voice celebrating who we are and where we belong.’

— Melina Marchetta, author of Looking For Alibrandi