Bertie Blackman – Bohemian Negligence (Literature Review)

Australian musician, artist and author Bertie Blackman’s debut memoir Bohemian Negligence is one of the best books of 2022.



I love Bertie Blackman’s music and art so when I had the opportunity to read her debut memoir Bohemian Negligence earlier this year, I jumped at the chance. The book focuses on Blackman’s early childhood and specifically her relationship with her father, renowned Australian artist Charles Blackman, how her parent’s divorce affected her and adjusting to the new family dynamic whilst growing up with an alcoholic parent.


There was no doubt that I was going to love this book, and in Bohemian Negligence certainly didn’t disappoint. One of the things I love most about Blackman’s music is her lyricism and the ways in which she expresses herself.

Just as with Blackman’s music, there is so much poetry in this book. While fairly short, it’s chock full of  stunning prose that makes a poet and author like myself envious of her ability to write so well and vividly – even when discussing topics that no child should have to experience.

It’s difficult to choose just one favourite snippet, but for the sake of this review I’ll go with a couple of lines that have been excerpted on the back cover, ‘If you could touch your memories, how would they feel? My first memory of life is blurry …’.

The capacity to take something as simple as one’s first memory and write about it so beautifully and intimately is a testament to Blackman’s work and talent as a whole. The vulnerability Blackman shows in this book is remarkable and from the first page, I simply couldn’t put it down.

There is so much that can go wrong with childhood memoirs and writing a book from a child’s perspective. But Blackman handles it with grace and maturity. It’s innocent and sweet in places by also being reflective and stoic at times when it needs to be. Even the more serious and adult topics are handled appropriately, with a sensitivity and deft hand that only comes from great writers.

Bohemian Negligence is a gem of a literary memoir, full of heart and promise that grants it a place as one of my favourite books of 2022. Whether you’re familiar with Bertie Blackman’s work, or you’re just looking for a fantastic read to end the year with, I cannot recommend this one enough.

This memoir is out now through Allen & Unwin. To find out more about the author, click here.