Danijela Hliš and her new collection of verse Hideaway serenade (1996)

Many Slovene migrants in Australia, especially those belonging to the younger generation have come to accept Australia as a second homeland, a lucky and in many ways promised country. Along with Slovene, they use English in their writing. This is true also of Danijela Hliš who has so far published two collections of verse, Whisper (1991) and Hideaway Serenade (1996). She feels at home in Australia, accepting its positive and negative sides, and considers it a second (home)land, like some other Slovene migrant poets living in the land of Oz. Danijela Hliš is probably the first poet to be included in a major secondary school textbook, which brings her to the Australian literary limelight and mainstream.