The Writer’s Block: A Q&A With Ali Cobby Eckermann

In this segment of The Writer’s Block, Ali Cobby Eckermann discusses the globalization of English as a force for good, how stories survive beyond books, and being in exile in her own country.

Ali Cobby Eckermann is a Yankunytjatjara Australian poet. Her published works include two books of poetry, two novels, and one memoir, and deal with the confusion she felt throughout her life as she tried to piece together who she was and where she belonged. She has received critical praise for her work both in the Aboriginal and Australian communities, as well as from her increasingly international audience, and has won many literary prizes. In addition to writing, she recently opened Australia’s first Aboriginal Writers Retreat at her home.