Kirli Saunders is a proud Gunai Woman and award-winning international writer of poetry, plays and picture books. She is a teacher, cultural consultant and artist. In 2020, Kirli was named the NSW Aboriginal Woman of the Year.

Kirli created Poetry in First Languages, delivered by Red Room Poetry : her poetry collection, Kindred was shortlisted for the ABIA 2020 Book Awards. Her verse novel, Bindi was the inaugural winner of the WA Premier’s Book Awards, Daisy Utemorrah Award and will be released in October.

Kirli has four forthcoming titles and her poetry features in several anthologies. Kirli is the winner of the University of Canberra ATSI Poetry prize (2019). She is a judge for the 2020 Prime Minister’s Literary Awards, QPF Val Vallis Award and Blake Poetry Prize.

Kirli’s artworks have been commissioned for several Galleries. With the support of Australia Council for the Arts, she will hold her first solo poetic arts exhibition Returning in 2021.

As a playwright, Kirli is co-creating Dead Horse Gap with Merrigong Theatre and South East Arts. Her first Solo play, Going Home has been supported by Playwriting Australia, and will take the stage in 2022