The Jaguar (poetry collection)

Sarah Holland-Batt is a professor of Creative Writing at the Queensland University of Technology and the author of two previous poetry collections — Aria (2008) and The Hazards (2015).^[2] Her father, Dr Anthony Holland-Batt, suffered from Parkinson's disease for 20 years before his death in 2020, and developed dementia in his later years.^[3] He experienced abuse and neglect during his time in aged care facilities, leading Sarah Holland-Batt to become an activist for improvements to aged care conditions.^[4] She gave testimony at the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety and has written extensively on her father's experiences in care.^[5][6] The Jaguar has been described as an extension of her activism, with Holland-Batt describing conditions in aged care facilities as a "human rights crisis" that demands greater public attention.^[4][7]

The Jaguar received positive reviews in Australian Poetry Review,^[8] The Sydney Morning Herald,^[9] The Conversation,^[10] The Times Literary Supplement^[11] and Australian Book Review.^[12] The collection was described by the Stella Prize judges as consisting of "tender, memorable poems that capture grief and loss and love through unforgettable imagery, often blended with humour".^[2] Reviewers praised Holland-Batt's highly metaphorical use of language and her exploration of themes of death and illness.^[9][8] Writing in The Conversation, Julieanne Lamond wrote that Holland-Batt's poetry features "a combination of ruthlessness and tenderness, clear-eyed witness and imaginative flight".^[10]