Maria Van Neerven's Two Tongues

Maria Van Neerven's Two Tongues

From Spoken Word by Di Cousens, Indrani Perera, Tina Giannoukos, and Waffle IronGirl

May 13, 2026

About this episode

Maria Van Neerven discusses her debut poetry collection 'Two Tongues' and its themes of colonisation, racism, and Indigenous resilience.

Maria Van Neerven's first full length collection, Two Tongues, is published by the University of Queensland Press. Described by Maxine Beneba Clarke as 'a stunning, masterful debut', Maria is a First Nations' poet and she reflects on the legacy of colonisation and racism and the aftermath of intergenerational harm. At the same time, she shines a light on the importance of family and culture, celebrating the Indigenous women filled with resilience and strength.

People in this episode

Hosts: Di Cousens, Indrani Perera, Tina Giannoukos, Waffle IronGirl

Guest: Maria Van Neerven

Topics covered

  • First Nations poetry
  • colonisation
  • racism
  • intergenerational harm
  • Indigenous culture
  • resilience
  • family

Keywords

  • Maria Van Neerven
  • Two Tongues
  • poetry
  • colonisation
  • racism
  • Indigenous women
  • family
  • culture
  • resilience

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: University of Queensland Press

More episodes of Spoken Word

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Spoken Word podcast page.