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Note: Photo courtesy of Fremantle Press.
Ambelin Kwaymullina Ambelin Kwaymullina i(A109528 works by)
Gender: Female
Heritage: Aboriginal ; Aboriginal Palku / Palyku
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BiographyHistory

Ambelin Kwaymullina graduated from the University of Western Australia in 1998 with a Bachelor of Laws (Hons). She worked in the areas of natural resource management, law reform and politics. Kwaymullina published her first work for children, the picture book Crow and the Waterhole, in 2007.

In February 2010, Fremantle Press announced Ambelin Kwaymullina had been selected among 25 Australian illustrators whose work will be exhibited by the Australian Publishers' Association at the Brologna Children's Book Fair in March 2010 for Crow and the Waterhole. The exhibition promotes Australian culture and literary culture internationally.

She has subsequently published a wide range of children's books, both independently and in collaboration with family members.

Ambelin Kwaymullina is the daughter of Sally Morgan and the sister of Blaze Kwaymullina and Ezekiel Kwaymullina. Her heritage is the Palyku people of the Pilbara region of Western Australia.

Exhibitions

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Most Referenced Works

Personal Awards

Awards for Works

y separately published work icon Living on Stolen Land Broome : Magabala Books , 2020 19537773 2020 selected work poetry prose

'Living on Stolen Land is a prose-styled look at our colonial-settler 'present'. This book is the first of its kind to address and educate a broad audience about the colonial contextual history of Australia, in a highly original way. It pulls apart the myths at the heart of our nationhood, and challenges Australia to come to terms with its own past and its place within and on 'Indigenous Countries'. 

'This title speaks to many First Nations' truths - stolen lands, sovereignties, time, decolonisation, First Nations perspectives, systemic bias and other constructs that inform our present discussions and ever-expanding understanding. This title is a timely, thought-provoking and accessible read.' (Publication summary)

2021 shortlisted Australian Book Industry Awards (ABIA) Small Publishers' Adult Book of the Year
y separately published work icon Girls Can Fly Broome : Magabala Books , 2020 18588398 2020 single work prose

'Girls can do anything
Who says girls can't fly?
Stretch out your arms
Aim for your dreams 
Believe in your wings 
Breathe in the sky
Fly high

'Who says girls can't fly? 

'Girls Can Fly is an inspirational, young teen book from award-winning Aboriginal writer and artist Sally Morgan and her equally talented daughter Ambelin. Together they have written short, poignant sayings full of advice that comes from their life experiences. Mother and daughter have written a beautiful, thoughtful and inspiring book. An early draft of the manuscript was given to the participants of the Kimberley and Pilbara Girls program and their feedback and suggestions were taken in. An acknowledgement, information about and photographs of the girls are featured at the back of the book.'  (Publication summary)

2020 shortlisted Speech Pathology Australia Book of the Year Awards Indigenous Children
2020 shortlisted Speech Pathology Australia Book of the Year Awards Eight to 10 Years
y separately published work icon Catching Teller Crow Crows Nest : Allen and Unwin , 2018 14072595 2018 single work novel young adult

'Nothing's been the same for Beth Teller since she died. Her dad, a detective, is the only one who can see and hear her—and he's drowning in grief. But now they have a mystery to solve together. As it unravels, Beth finds a shocking story lurking beneath the surface of a small town, and a friendship that lasts beyond one life and into another. Told in two unforgettable voices, this gripping novel weaves together themes of grief, colonial history, violence, love and family.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

2022 nominated Sakura Medal (Japan) English Middle School Books
2019 selected White Ravens
2019 shortlisted Queensland Literary Awards Griffith University Young Adult Book Award
2019 shortlisted Tin Duck Award, Western Australian Science Fiction Foundation (WASFF) Best WA Professional Long Written Work
2019 shortlisted Norma K. Hemming Award Long Work
2019 shortlisted Australian Book Industry Awards (ABIA) Australian Book of the Year for Older Children
2019 CBCA Book of the Year Awards Notable Book Older Readers
2018 winner Aurealis Awards for Excellence in Australian Speculative Fiction Young Adult Division Novel
2019 winner Victorian Premier's Literary Awards Prize for Writing for Young Adults
2019 shortlisted Indie Awards Young Adult
Last amended 10 Feb 2020 08:44:52
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