Ali Cobby Eckermann

Ali Cobby Eckermann (born 1963) is an Australian poet of Indigenous Australian ancestry. She is a Yankunytjatjara/Kokatha woman born on Kaurna land in South Australia.

Eckermann has written poetry collections, verse novels and a memoir, and has been shortlisted for or won several literary awards. In 2017, she won the international Windham-Campbell Literary Prize for Poetry. She has travelled extensively, performing her poetry.

Ali Cobby Eckermann was born Penelope Rae Cobby at the Kate Cocks Memorial Babies’ Home in Adelaide in 1963. She was adopted as a baby by a Lutheran couple, Clarrie and Frieda Eckermann. She grew up on a farm, and did her schooling at Brinkworth Area School and Clare High School, in mid-north South Australia.

Eckermann, her mother and her grandmother were all stolen, tricked or adopted away from their birth families.

She grew up in a loving supportive home, but she was assaulted sexually by a family friend when she 7 years old, and experienced ongoing abuse and racism while growing up. At 17 she left home with a man with whom she lived for two years, but whom she left due to his violence. She returned home, only to discover she was pregnant, and gave birth when she was 19. Her son was adopted.

After turning 18, Eckermann began searching for her birth mother, Audrey, but didn't find her until she was 34, after information had been released with the Bringing Them Home report in 1997. Four years later, she found her son Jonnie.

Most of her early adult life was spent in the Northern Territory, on Arrernte country, Jawoyn country and Larrakia country. She worked in various places, including a remote arts centre outside Alice Springs.

She says that 'I learnt to live in two different ways over my life. I learnt a good example of hard work and kindness from growing up with my mum and dad in my adopted family. And I’m extremely grateful that my traditional family welcomed me back with such love and honesty. I got a second chance to live in an honest world.'

She now lives in South Australia.

Eckermann's literary career was established in 2009 after she submitted her first collection of poetry to a manuscript competition run by Australian Poetry. It was published under the title, Little Bit Long Time, first in pamphlet form by the Australian Poetry Centre and then in book form, both in 2009. Its subject matter is the problematic history of Indigenous people since colonial times, which means that she explores both her own life and experience, as an indigenous woman, as well as looking at the historical perspective. She returns to this subject matter repeatedly in her work.

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