Melanie Mununggur-Williams is a Djapu, Irish and Scottish woman. She lives in Darwin and works with Indigenous teenage girls. (Source : Growing up Aboriginal in Australia)
In 2018, Melanie became the first Indigenous champion of the Australian Poetry Slam.
'Tamika Worrell is a proud Kamilaroi woman, who grew up and was educated on Dharug country. She is a trained secondary English and Society and Culture teacher, who undertook her studies at Macquarie University. Her passion is to promote equitable education for all, and to ensure students appreciate the diversity and value of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures.' (Source : Growing up Aboriginal in Australia)
'Shannon Foster is a D'harawal saltwater knowledge keeper, educator and artist who was born, raised and is still living on country in Sydney's Tucoerah (Georges River). She has been teaching her family's stories and knowledges for over twenty years to a range of audiences, including at venues such as Sydney Olympic Park, Taronga Zoo and the Australian Museum, and in various universities. Shannon undertook her PhD in the Centre for the Advancement of Indigenous Knowledges at the University of Technology, Sydney.' (Source : Growing up Aboriginal in Australia)
'Shahni Welling [...] is a Jerrinja woman from the south coast of New South Wales, now living on Larrakia country in Darwin. Since she was little she wanted to be a storyteller. She is a journalist by day, and an over-eater and sports fiend by night.' (Source : Growing up Aboriginal in Australia)
Alice Anderson grew up on Wotjobulok country in Horsham, Victoria. She is a singer-songwriter who has performed with the likes of Archie Roach and Dan Sultan . (Source : Growing up Aboriginal in Australia)
'Sharon Kingaby... 'works full-time in Aboriginal employment within a local council. She has been welcomed into the Aboriginal communities where she lives and works, supported by elders and respected leaders, and tries to give back as much as she can.' (Source : Growing up Aboriginal in Australia)
Professor Anita Heiss is a member of the Wiradjuri nation of central New South Wales and is one of Australia’s most prolific and well-known authors of Aboriginal literature. She has a PhD in Communication and Media which resulted in a history of Indigenous publishing titled Dhuuluu-Yala : To Talk Straight. Other published works include the historical novel Who Am I? : The Diary of Mary Talence : Sydney, 1937, the Macquarie PEN Anthology of Aboriginal Literature, which she co-edited with Peter Minter.
In 2007 Anita released three titles: the novel Not Meeting Mr Right, the poetry collection I'm Not Racist, But... : A Collection of Social Observations, and the children's novel, Yirra and Her Deadly Dog, Demon. These were followed by Avoiding Mr Right and Manhattan Dreaming in 2008 and 2011 respectively. In 2011, Anita released Paris Dreaming and Demon Guards the School Yard, which was written with the students of La Perouse Public School in Sydney for the award-winning Yarning Strong series. Her novel Tiddas is set in Brisbane and was published in 2014. It was followed by Barbed Wire and Cherry Blossoms in 2016. Anita also edited the anthology Growing Up Aboriginal in Australia, which was released in 2018 by Black Inc.
In 2004 Anita was listed in the Bulletin magazine’s 'Smart 100'. Her memoir Am I Black Enough for You? was a finalist in the 2012 Human Rights Awards and she was a finalist in the 2013 Australian of the Year Awards (Local Hero). Anita has made guest appearances on many television programs including the Einstein Factor, Message Stick, Vulture, Critical Mass, A Difference of Opinion (all ABC), The Catch Up (Channel 9), Living Black (SBS), The Gathering (NITV), 9am with David and Kim and The Circle (both Channel 10).
Anita is a sought after public speaker and performer, delivering keynote addresses at universities and conferences across the USA, Canada, the UK, Tahiti, Fiji, New Caledonia, Spain, Japan, Austria, Germany and New Zealand. She has also presented at Australian Embassies and Consulates in Vienna, Paris, New York, Atlanta and Shanghai. She is an Ambassador for the GO Foundation, Worawa Aboriginal College and the Sydney Swans, and a Lifetime Ambassador for the Indigenous Literacy Foundation.
Anita is a tireless advocate for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander writing and has been involved in AustLit's BlackWords project since its inception in 2007.
In 2019, Anita was appointed a Professor of Communications at the University of QLD. She currently sits on the Board of the State Library of QLD.
'Bebe Backhouse is a Bardi man from Western Australia. With a background in classical music as a concert pianist, repetiteur and teacher, his educational work with Indigenous and non-Indigenous youth in the Kimberley led him to win 'Western Australian Young Person of the Year in the Arts' at twenty-one. He now (2018) lives in Melbourne where he designs and produces creative high-profile festivals and events for that city's diverse communities. ' (Source : Growing up Aboriginal in Australia)
Terri Janke is a Wuthathi and Meriam woman and an internationally recognised authority on Indigenous Cultural and Intellectual Property (ICIP), known for innovating pathways between the law and the cultural rights of Indigenous peoples and communities. As the owner and Solicitor Director of Terri Janke and Company, a Sydney based law firm, she is dedicated to empowering Indigenous peoples to assert their ICIP rights and prosper in their business and creative endeavours.
Terri is an influential advocate for positive collaborations and engagement, having written leading ICIP protocols for various sectors including the arts, museums, archives, film and business. Some of her landmark publications include Our Culture: Our Future (1998), IP Australia’s Indigenous Knowledge: Issues for protection and management (2018) and First Peoples: a roadmap for enhancing Indigenous engagement in museums and galleries (2019). She is also a creative writer known for her novel Butterfly Song (2005) and has contributed short stories and poetry to various publications, including Growing Up Aboriginal in Australia (2018). Terri is the recipient of awards such as the NAIDOC Person of the Year (2011), the Commonwealth Attorney-General’s Indigenous Legal Professional of the Year (2012) and the Aboriginal Justice Award – Highly Commended (2007).