Kirli Saunders (OAM) is a proud Gunai Woman and award-winning multidisciplinary artist and consultant. An experienced speaker and facilitator advocating for the environment and equality, Kirli was the NSW Aboriginal Woman of the Year (2020). In 2022, she was awarded an Order of Australia Medal for her contribution to the arts, particularly literature. Kirli’s books, The Incredible Freedom Machines (2018, Scholastic), Kindred (2019, Magabala), Bindi (2020, Magabala) and Our Dreaming (2022, Scholastic) have been celebrated by the Prime Minister’s, QLD, WA, Adelaide, Victorian Premier’s Literary, ABIAs, Kate Challis RAKA, Speech Pathology, ABDA and CBCA awards.

Photo by Salty Dingo Media, courtesy of Scholastic Australia