AustLit logo
image of person or book cover 3239615910521263352.jpg
Image courtesy of author Kerry Reed Gilbert, 2016.
Kerry Reed-Gilbert Kerry Reed-Gilbert i(A32818 works by) (birth name: Kerry Gilbert) (a.k.a. Aunty Kerry Reed-Gilbert)
Also writes as: Velvet Black
Born: Established: 24 Oct 1956 ; Died: Ceased: 13 Jul 2019 Canberra, Australian Capital Territory,
Gender: Female
Heritage: Aboriginal Wiradjuri ; Aboriginal
The material on this page is available to AustLit subscribers. If you are a subscriber or are from a subscribing organisation, please log in to gain full access. To explore options for subscribing to this unique teaching, research, and publishing resource for Australian culture and storytelling, please contact us or find out more.

Works By

Preview all
1 2 y separately published work icon The Cherry Picker's Daughter : A Childhood Memoir Kerry Reed-Gilbert , Cheltenham : Deadly Dingo Books , 2019 16934279 2019 single work autobiography

'An exquisite portrait of growing up Aboriginal on the fringes of outback towns in New South Wales in the mid-twentieth century. The Cherry Picker’s Daughter is a window into the day-to-day lived experience, a profound insight into the extraordinary strength, resilience and ingenuity of Aboriginal families, of women in particular, to survive and overcome seemingly insurmountable adversity: extreme poverty, persecution, racism and cultural genocide.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

1 Poem for Kevin Gilbert i "Black soot is smeared as he sits beside the fire", Kerry Reed-Gilbert , 2019 single work poetry
— Appears in: Australian Poetry Anthology 2019; (p. 12)
1 Please Don’t i "please don’t invite him to take", Kerry Reed-Gilbert , 2019 single work poetry
— Appears in: Cordite Poetry Review , 1 February no. 89 2019;
1 y separately published work icon Pamle : Torres Strait Islanders in Canberra Kerry Reed-Gilbert (editor), Samantha Faulkner (editor), Canberra : Samantha Faulkner , 2018 16505445 2018 anthology interview

'This collection of interviews showcases Torres Strait Islander peoples in Canberra. You will get to see the diversity among us, the richness of our culture and the close-knit bond with Pamle (family). From women to men, youth to Elders we invite you to enjoy our lived experience in our home away from home.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

1 The Bush Oven Kerry Reed-Gilbert , 2018 single work short story
— Appears in: Australian Short Stories , no. 66 2018;
1 A Short History of the First Nations Australia Writers Network Kerry Reed-Gilbert , 2018 single work essay
— Appears in: Overland [Online] , July 2018;

'It is with great pleasure that I write about the First Nations Australia Writers Network (FNAWN). Conceived out of the ‘Guwanyi’ Indigenous Writers Festival in March 2011, FNAWN is the peak representative body for First Nations Australia novelists, poets, storytellers and screenwriters. We are focused on representing and advocating for our membership in the creative industry, both nationally and internationally. We aim to ensure networking opportunities and assist our members in their skills and career development. In order to maintain a public face as FNAWN we do this through our newsletters and through an active presence online by social media and by email.' (Introduction)

1 The Little Town on the Railway Track Kerry Reed-Gilbert , 2018 single work life story
— Appears in: Growing Up Aboriginal in Australia 2018; (p. 197-202) Growing Up in Australia 2021;

'After many years of travelling from town to town and living in tents, paddock shacks and rented houses, we were finally going to get a home of our own - one that was stable, one we could call home. Our house in Condo had burnt down many years ago, and since then we had been travelling fro one paddock to another, one place to another.'  (Introduction)

1 Śnienie (z) Uluru I : Śnienie Uluru II Kerry Reed-Gilbert : Wiersze Kerry Reed-Gilbert , 2017 single work criticism
— Appears in: Odra , October 2017; (p. 71-72)
1 My Country, My Life i "Today I journeyed upon my land", Kerry Reed-Gilbert , 2017 single work poetry
— Appears in: Too Deadly : Our Voice Our Way Our Business 2017; (p. 99)
1 In the Shade of a Tree Kerry Reed-Gilbert , 2017 single work prose
— Appears in: Too Deadly : Our Voice Our Way Our Business 2017; (p. 96-98)
1 Tears Wash My Spirit i "Sadness wraps around my heart", Kerry Reed-Gilbert , 2017 single work poetry
— Appears in: Too Deadly : Our Voice Our Way Our Business 2017; (p. 95)
1 When the Bell Tolls Kerry Reed-Gilbert , 2017 single work prose
— Appears in: Too Deadly : Our Voice Our Way Our Business 2017; (p. 90-94) Verity La , May 2019;
1 God Bless Australia i "She stands tall in front of the sign", Kerry Reed-Gilbert , 2017 single work poetry
— Appears in: Too Deadly : Our Voice Our Way Our Business 2017; (p. 87)
1 Reflections i "I see you as I look for my reflection", Kerry Reed-Gilbert , 2017 single work poetry
— Appears in: Too Deadly : Our Voice Our Way Our Business 2017; (p. 86)
1 In the Field of Memories Kerry Reed-Gilbert , 2017 single work prose
— Appears in: Too Deadly : Our Voice Our Way Our Business 2017; (p. 76-85)
1 The Place in the Paddock i "I watch you walk that lonely road", Kerry Reed-Gilbert , 2017 single work poetry
— Appears in: Too Deadly : Our Voice Our Way Our Business 2017; (p. 75)
1 Love Comes in Many Colours i "A child's face glows with anticipation as they stumble towards the face in the", Kerry Reed-Gilbert , 2017 single work poetry
— Appears in: Australian Poetry Journal , vol. 7 no. 1 2017; (p. 51)
1 1 y separately published work icon Too Deadly : Our Voice Our Way Our Business Us Mob Writing , Kerry Reed-Gilbert (editor), Samantha Faulkner (editor), Barrina South (editor), Belconnen : Us Mob Writing , 2017 12334897 2017 anthology poetry short story autobiography prose

'Too Deadly is a fitting title for this powerful and diverse collection of First Nations writings. Offerings include prose and narrative poetry; flash fiction, fiction and creative non-fiction; and life writing. The writers gathered bring to the fore evocative snippets from the many different nations of Indigenous Australia; the themes range from the personal to the political – the big and the small picture leap off the page.'

Source: Jeanine Leane, Wiradjuri writer, Academic. (Publication Summary)

1 Eveleigh Street, Redfern i "They walked down Eveleigh Street", Kerry Reed-Gilbert , 2017 single work poetry
— Appears in: Verity La , November 2017;
1 I Know You i "I know you but you do not know me", Kerry Reed-Gilbert , 2017 single work poetry
— Appears in: Verity La , November 2017; Too Deadly : Our Voice Our Way Our Business 2017; (p. 88-89)
X