Kirli Saunders is a proud Gunai Woman and award-winning multidisciplinary creator and consultant. An experienced speaker and facilitator advocating for the environment, gender and racial equality, and LGBTIQA+ rights, Kirli was the NSW Aboriginal Woman of the Year (2020).

Kirli’s books, The Incredible Freedom Machines (2018, Scholastic), Kindred (2019, Magabala) and Bindi (2020, Magabala) have been celebrated by the Prime Minister’s, QLD, WA & Victorian Premier’s Literary, Adelaide Festival, ABIAs, Kate Challis RAKA, Speech Pathology, ABDA and CBCA awards. Her work is published in anthologies and public art. She has 7 forthcoming titles, including Returning, a visual poetry collection following her solo exhibition with the same title.

Kirli’s solo exhibition, Returning showed at SHAC Gallery in Nov-Dec 2021 and was supported by Australia Council for the Arts. Kirli’s art has been exhibited in Shoalhaven and Wollongong Galleries and commissioned for public art with Google, UOW, NSW Department of Education.

Kirli’s first Solo play, Going Home has been commissioned by Playwriting Australia and will take the stage in 2022. Kirli is a board member for Merrigong Theatre.

In 2022, you will find Kirli at Melbourne Writers Festival, Sydney Writers Festival, Little Scribe & Blak & Bright.

I pay my respects and acknowledge the Traditional Custodians, past and present of the lands, seas and skies. I honour their continuous connection to country, kin and culture. With gratitude, I move on these lands with care.