About Me:
Kirli Saunders (OAM) is a proud Gunai woman who rarely stays in her lane. She is an award-winning multidisciplinary artist, writer, singer-songwriter, and consultant who creates to connect and make change. In 2022, Kirli was awarded an Order of Australia Medal for her contribution to the arts, followed by the Dr Guy Warren AM Award for Arts and Culture (UOW, 2025) and NSW Aboriginal Woman of the Year (2020).
Kirli’s creative practice spans installation, literature, and performance. She has partnered with global organisations, including Google, Fender, Sydney Opera House, Qantas, Spotify, Mecca, Vogue, National Geographic, Aesop, ABC.
Kirli’s nine books have been recognised by major literary prizes including the Prime Minister’s, Queensland, Victorian, and Western Australian Premiers’ Literary Awards, the CBCA, and the ABIA. Her titles include Beyond the Shore (Scholastic, 2025), Eclipse (Allen & Unwin, 2025), Afloat (Hardie Grant, 2024), The Land Recalls You (2024), Returning (2023), Our Dreaming (2022), Bindi (2020), Kindred (2019), and The Incredible Freedom Machines (2018).
Her theatre show, Yandha Djanbay (Merrigong Theatre, 2025), endorsed by APAX and PANNZ, will tour Australia and New Zealand in 2026–27. Kirli also writes for Play School (ABC).
As a singer-songwriter, Kirli was commissioned by ABC Classic to write Summer Together, composed by Elena Kats-Chernin for the Sydney Philharmonia Choir. She performed backing vocals for Jack River’s 2023 Like a Version (Triple J) as well as live events. With the assistance of Creative Australia, Kirli and Mark Chester Harding have formed Cooee, an indie music project recording and releasing five singles and an album- Messengers in 2025/26.
Kirli led Poetry in First Languages, Returning and Re[ad]generate, delivered in partnership with many First Nations collaborators and industry partners. She helped shape the CreateNSW Aboriginal Arts Culture Protocols, and is a member of Merrigong Theatre Companies First Nations Advisory Group.
Kirli designed the drone installation Buungbaa Ma Ndhu (Fremantle Biennale x Ngununggula Gallery) and has been commissioned for Shared Skies (2025), a collaboration with the Sā Biennale, ANU, Siding Spring Observatory, and Fremantle Biennale. Her voice-to-art work TRACES with Kamsani Bin Salleh was created with Google, Magabala Books, and the Sydney Opera House for VIVID. Kirli has delivered permanent public artworks for Denver Zoo, Transport for NSW, and Health Infrastructure NSW, with pieces spanning vinyl, fibre, installation, and paint. Her W25 Collection with Yuki Threads sold out, and she has exhibited with leading galleries and festivals nationwide.
Wallflowers & Evergreens, Kirli Saunders & Tad Souden 2021
ACCOLADES
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Cooee, supporting Phantastic Ferniture, Metro Theatre
'Crossing the Line', Seven Marks gallery Exhibit
Speaker, Headspace Schools & Communities National Meeting
Cooee Performance, Thirroul Music Festival
MC, Giiyong Festival
Cooee Performance, Culture Mix
Cooee music support for Kee’ahn at The Vanguard
Artist Residency, Shared Skies
Commissioned writer, ABC’s series ‘Playschool’ - Series 378, Ep4
Wallflowers & Evergreens Screening, Sydney Opera House
Yandha Djanbay, Solo theatre work Showcase pitch at APAX.
Speaker, Byron Writers Festival
‘Mate You’re Standing on Stolen Land’ installation at Wollongong Art Gallery for the Greetings From Wollongong Exhibition
Speaker, Sydney Writers Festival
Commissioned Artist, NSW Health Infrastructure, Bowral Hospital
‘Mate You’re Standing on Stolen Land’ installation at Shoalhaven Regional Gallery for the Sunbaker Exhibition
Shortlisted works on paper prize, SHAC Gallery, Highly Commended
Keynote Speaker , ICMI, Good Shepherd ANZ
Commissioned writer, ABC’s series ‘Playschool’ - Series 374 - Ep2
Cooee Performance, Culture shapers Event
The Victorian Premier’s Literary Awards 2025, Afloat, shortlisted
CBCA Book of the Year Awards - Picture Book of the Year Notable, Afloat
CBCA Book of the Year Awards - Picture Book of the Year Notable, The Land Recalls You
Yandha Djanbay, Solo theatre work development and presentation with Merrigong Theatre
International Womens Day Speaker, Marie Claire
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Keynote speaker for various NSW Public Schools, Independent & Catholic schools
Keynote Speaker, Teaching Excellence Program graduation event, Victorian Academy of Teaching and Leadership
MC, Creative Australia Awards
Nominated AACTA Award for Best Children’s Program, ABC’s Series Playschool, Episode: Big Ted’s Time Machine
Poetry Performance, Marie Claire, Woman of the Year Awards
Shortlisted works on paper prize, SHAC Gallery
Commissioned writer, ABC’s series ‘Playschool’
Keynote Address, Copyright Agency 50th anniversary
Keynote Speaker, Museum Of Australian Democracy At Old Parliament House
Speaker, Berry Writers Festival
Commissioned Artist, NSW Government for the 2024 HSC graduating class
‘Mate You’re Standing on Stolen Land’ installation at Shoalhaven Regional Gallery for the Sunbaker Exhibition
Cooee Performance, Culture Mix, Wollongong City Council
Poetry Performance, Youtube x Sense Group
Speaker, Poem Forest Red Room poetry x DART
Cooee performance, Bloomfield Music and Arts Festival
Cooee performance, Red Room Poetry x BBC x ABC Contains Strong Language (CSL) broadcast and live festival
Panelist & Speaker, South Coast Writers Festival
Shortlisted Artist, NSW Health Infrastructure, Shoalhaven Hospital
Keynote Speaker, ICMI, Tyro
Keynote Speaker, ICMI, Marriot
Commissioned Artist - Mural woven installation & digital design, Transport NSW
Commissioned Artist, Denver Zoo's Australian Down Under Exhibit
Guest, ABC's series 'Playschool'
Panelist & Guest Speaker, Newcastle Writers Festival
Guest Speaker, Blak & Bright First Nations literary festival
Guest speaker, Marie Claire, International Women's Day
Guest Speaker, Adelaide Writers Festival
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‘Buungbaa-ma-ndhu’, Light and audio show for First Lights presented by Fremantle Biennale x Ngununggula
Traces Panel, Outlines Festival
Panelist, Sydney Writers Festival
Panel Host, State Library of NSW
Panelist, Melbourne Writers Festival
Guest Speaker, UOW Graduate Ceremony
Panelist, Queensland Poetry Festival
Panelist, Open Field Contemporary Art Festival
‘We Don’t Cry, We Don’t Miss’ sculptural poem, displayed in Open Field Contemporary Art Festival
Commissioned Artist, Open Field x Shoalhaven Gallery
Panelist & Guest Speaker, Blak & Bright
Keynote Speaker, Wilkinson Butler, International Women’s Day
‘We Don’t Cry, We Don’t Miss’ sculptural poem, Wollongong City Council, Sculpture in the Gardens
Our Dreaming, 2023 CBCA Notables, Picture Book of the Year.
Contributor, NANGAMAY Dream MANA Gather DJURALI Grow: First Nations Australia LGBTQIA+ Poetry (Black Books).
‘Greedy’, Fibre, shell & audio installation, for Linger Dash Talk World Pride Exhibition at Cement Fondu.
‘Ngurra’, cyanotype & natural fibres, Ngali Jugun Ganaree (Of Our Country) at First Draft
Shortlisted Artist collaborating with TILT Industrial Design, Yananurala, City of Sydney
MC, WulgulOra Morning Ceremony, NSW Department of Premier & Cabinet
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Order of Australia Medal recipient for Contribution to the Arts, particularly Literature
Bindi, Shortlisted, Ena Nöel Shortlist, IBBY Australia
Bindi, Shortlisted 2022 Adelaide Festival Awards for Literature, Children’s Literature Award
Collaborating Artist, ‘TRACES’ voice to art audiovisual installation for VIVID with Kamsani Bin Salleh, Magabala Books, Google, Sydney Opera House 2022
Shortlisted Artist collaborating with TILT Industrial Design, Shoalhaven City Council
‘Carry On’, Digital Print on Fender American Acoustasonic Jazzmaster for Fender X Children’s Ground 2022
‘Garrigarran’, multilayered digital print on aluminum, Wollongong City Council with thanks to Coomaditchie United Aboriginal Corporation
‘Oneness’ Vinyl on Glass for AESOP, Pitt St Mall.
‘Mate you’re Standing on Stolen Land’, Vinyl on timber, Wollongong Regional Art Gallery, 2022
‘Mate you’re Standing on Stolen Land’, Vinyl, Red Earth Arts Precinct, 2020-22.
‘Ngurragu Dhadjam (come home soon)’, Acrylic on ply, Good Space Gallery 2022
‘Collaborative Possum Skin Cloak’, with community, Siteworks, Bundanon Trust 2022.
Shortlisted Artist, Sanctuary Point Library Public Art Commission
Master of Ceremonies, WugulOra, Dept. Premiers & Cabinet and National Broadcast
Judge, Queensland Literary Awards, 2022
Judge, Poem Forest, Red Room Poetry 2022
Board Member & First Nations Advisory Group, Merrigong Theatre
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Returning, solo exhibition SHAC Gallery
Board Member, Merrigong Theatre
Founder, Re[ad]generate, 2021.
Bindi, Winner, Queensland Literary Awards, Children’s Book Award
Bindi, Winner, WA Premiers Literary, Daisy Utemorrah Award
Bindi, Winner, 2021 Australian Book Industry Awards, Small Publishers’ Children’s Book Of The Year
Bindi, Winner, 2021 Speech Pathology Book of the Year Awards
Bindi, Shortlist, 2021 Australian Book Designers Association Awards
Bindi, Shortlist, 2021 CBCA Awards
Bindi, Shortlist, 2021 Readings Children’s Book Prize
Bindi, Longlist, 2021 Colin Roderick Award
Kindred, Shortlist, 2021 Victorian Premier’s Literary Awards, Indigenous Writing
Shortlisted, Oodgeroo Noonuccal Indigenous Poetry Prize
Keynote Speaker, Australian Consulate-General, Chennai
Speaker, Australian Reconciliation Conference
Speaker, Reconciliation Australia Conference 2021
Keynote Speaker, CBCA Australia AAA conference, 2021
Solo Exhibition, Returning, SHAC Gallery
Guest Writer, Australian Consulate, Chennai 2021
Commissioned Artist, Wollongong Council for Port Kembla Precinct Project
IDEO Hello Design Thinking Course
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NSW Aboriginal Woman Of The Year 2020
Board Member, Merrigong Theatre
Kindred, Shortlisted, Australian Book Industry Awards, Small Publishers’ Adult Book Of The Year
Kindred, Commended, Kate Challis RAKA Award
Judge, Prime Minister’s Literary Awards
Judge, Val Vallis Award
Going Home, Commissioned by Playwriting Australia
Returning: Poetic Arts Exhibition + Publication supported by Australia Council For the Arts
Runner-up, The Nakata Brophy Prize
Commissioned Artist, Wollongong Gallery for Here + Now Gallery, 2020
Commissioned Artist, Shoalhaven Gallery for Terra Within, 2020
Dead Horse Gap, co-writer, Merrigong Theatre 2019
200 Hr Yoga Teacher Trained
AUSCO Grant Recipient, Returning 2020.
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The Incredible Freedom Machines, CBCA Notables
The Incredible Freedom Machines, Shortlisted, Prime Minister’s Literary Awards
The Incredible Freedom Machines, Shortlisted, Speech Pathology Australia Book of the Year Awards – Indigenous Children
Winner, The University Of Canberra ATSI Poetry Prize
Guest Writer, Australian Embassy, Jakarta & Bali
Finalist, Contemporary NOW Arts Prize
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Founder, Poetry in First Languages
Runner-up, The Nakata Brophy Prize
Highly Commended, Black&Write