Tony Birch FAHA (born c.1957) is an Aboriginal Australian author, academic and activist. He regularly appears on ABC local radio and Radio National shows and at writers’ festivals. He was head of the honours programme for creative writing at the University of Melbourne before becoming the first recipient of the Dr Bruce McGuinness Indigenous Research Fellowship at Victoria University in Melbourne in June 2015.
Tony Birch | |
|---|---|
| Born | c.1957 (age 66–67) Melbourne, Victoria, Australia |
| Occupation | Author, academic |
| Language | English |
| Nationality | Australian |
| Education | PhD in Urban cultures and histories |
| Alma mater | The University of Melbourne |
| Years active | 1989–present |
| Notable awards | Patrick White Award |
In 2017, he became the first Indigenous writer to win the Patrick White Award.
Background, early life and education
editBirch's maternal great-grandfather was an Afghan who migrated to Australia in 1890, who had to get exemption from the Immigration Restriction Act 1901 to take his wife home to meet the family. He also has Barbadian convict (James "Prince" Moodie, transported to Tasmania for 14 years for "disobedience") and Aboriginal heritage.[1]
Birch was born around 1957[1] and has grown up around Fitzroy, a working-class suburb of Melbourne once considered a slum.[2] After being expelled from school for the second time, he left school aged 15 and became a telegram boy on a bicycle.[1]
Career
editAfter spending a decade as a firefighter, Birch attended the University of Melbourne as a mature student when he was 30 years old. He was the first Aboriginal student to graduate with a degree in History from the University of Melbourne, and the first to receive an MA in Creative Writing. He taught Aboriginal history for several years before switching to Creative Writing. In 2003 he was awarded the Chancellor's Medal for the best PhD in Arts.[1] During this period, Birch also worked as the Senior Indigenous Curator for Southeastern Australia at Museum Victoria.
Birch has appeared on ABC radio on shows such as Conversations with Richard Fidler,[2] Life Matters[3] and RN Afternoons.[4][5]
In 2015 he became the first recipient of the Dr Bruce McGuinness Indigenous Research Fellowship at Victoria University in Melbourne,[6] and as of June 2018[update] is still a research fellow there.[1] His work involves academic research, creative writing projects, student mentoring, lecturing and community engagement.[6]
Birch was appointed to the Boisbouvier Chair in Australian Literature at the University of Melbourne in December 2022.[7] In this role he provides guest and public lectures and undertakes other forms of public engagement, contributes to Australia's first course on narrative medicine and works with schools, libraries, book clubs, organisations and community groups. In 2023 Preston High School named their new school library after him.
Activism
editBirch is active in a variety of political and social movements, including climate justice, climate change, refugee-related issues and Indigenous issues. His novels integrate themes affecting Indigenous people, such as colonial oppression, dispossession, the Stolen Generations, and generational violence.[1] He donates a portion of any prize money to the Indigenous youth organisation dedicated to climate justice, Seed.[8][9]
Bibliography
editNovels
edit- —— (2011). Blood (1st ed.). University of Queensland Press. ISBN 9780702239274.
- —— (2015). Ghost River. ISBN 9780702253775.
- —— (2006). Shadowboxing. ISBN 9781921753909.
- —— (2019). The White Girl. ISBN 9780702260384.
- —— (2023). Women & Children. ISBN 9780702266270.
Short story collections
edit- —— (2009). Father's Day. ISBN 9780980517972.
- —— (2014). The Promise: Stories. ISBN 9780702252112.
- —— (2017). Common People. University of Queensland Press. ISBN 9780702259838.
- —— (2021). Dark as Last Night. University of Queensland Press. ISBN 9780702263170.
Poetry
edit- —— (2016). Broken Teeth. ISBN 9780980517972.
- —— (2021). Whisper Songs. University of Queensland Press. ISBN 9780702263279.
Anthologies
edit- —— (2018). Anita Heiss (ed.). "Gathering Strength". Growing Up Aboriginal in Australia. Black Inc. ISBN 9781863959810.
Book reviews
edit| Year | Review article | Work(s) reviewed |
|---|---|---|
| January–February 2021 | Birch, Tony (January–February 2021). "Disher country". Australian Book Review. 428: 40. | Disher, Garry (2020). Consolation. Text Publishing. |
Awards and honours
editLiterary
- Shadowboxing, shortlisted Queensland Premier's Literary Awards — Arts Queensland Steele Rudd Award 2006
- Shadowboxing, commended, Kate Challis RAKA Award 2011
- Blood, highly commended FAW Christina Stead Award 2011
- Blood, finalist Melbourne Prize for Literature — Best Writing Award 2012
- Blood, winner Melbourne Prize for Literature — Civic Choice Award 2012
- Blood, shortlisted Miles Franklin Award 2012[10]
- The Promise: Stories, shortlisted Queensland Literary Awards — Steele Rudd Award 2014
- The Promise: Stories, shortlisted Victorian Premier's Literary Award for Indigenous Writing 2014[11]
- Ghost River, longlisted Miles Franklin Award 2016[12]
- Ghost River, winner Victorian Premier's Literary Awards — Prize for Indigenous Writing 2017[13]
- Common People, shortlisted Victorian Premier's Literary Awards — Prize for Indigenous Writing 2019[14]
- The White Girl, shortlisted, Miles Franklin Award 2020[15]
- The White Girl, winner, New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards Indigenous Writers' Prize 2020[16]
- Dark as Last Night, winner, New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards Christina Stead Prize for Fiction 2022[17]
- Dark as Last Night, shortlisted, Prime Minister's Literary Award for Fiction 2022[18]
- Dark as Last Night, winner, Queensland Literary Awards — Steele Rudd Award 2022 [19]
Honors
- First recipient of the Dr Bruce McGuinness Indigenous Research Fellowship at Victoria University, Melbourne, June 2015[6]
- Patrick White Award 2017 (first Indigenous writer to receive the award)[9]
- Elected a Royal Society of Literature International Writer in 2023[20]
- Elected Fellow of the Australian Academy of the Humanities in 2024[21]
References
edit- ^ a b c d e f Daley, Paul (7 June 2019). "Tony Birch on The White Girl: 'No Aboriginal person I know is intact'". The Guardian. Books. Retrieved 8 June 2019.
- ^ a b "Tony Birch". ABC RN. Conversations with Richard Fidler. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 11 July 2013. Retrieved 6 June 2019.
- ^ "Meet Tony Birch". ABC RN. Life Matters. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 27 October 2011. Retrieved 6 June 2019.
- ^ "UQP - Author - Tony Birch". Retrieved 6 June 2019.
- ^ "Tony Birch (Australia)". Internationales literaturfestival, Berlin. 11–21 September 2019. Retrieved 6 June 2019.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: others (link) - ^ a b c "Tony Birch joins VU as research fellow". Victoria University. 3 June 2015. Retrieved 8 June 2019.
- ^ Ling, Susanna (14 December 2022). "Tony Birch named third Boisbouvier Chair in Australian Literature". University of Melbourne. Retrieved 14 December 2022.
- ^ "Home". Seed. Retrieved 8 June 2019.
- ^ a b Steger, Jason (15 November 2017). "Tony Birch wins the Patrick White Award". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 16 November 2017.
- ^ "The 2012 Shortlist". Miles Franklin Literary Award. Archived from the original on 14 June 2012. Retrieved 17 July 2024.
- ^ "Lucashenko wins 2014 Vic Prem's Literary Award for Indigenous Writing". Books+Publishing. 4 September 2014. Retrieved 9 December 2020.
- ^ "Miles Franklin Literary Award, The 2016 Longlist". The Trust Company. Retrieved 17 July 2024.
- ^ "Birch wins 2016 Victorian Premier's Literary Award for Indigenous Writing". Books+Publishing. 9 September 2016. Retrieved 9 December 2020.
- ^ "Victorian Premier's Literary Awards 2019 shortlists announced". Books+Publishing. 12 December 2018. Retrieved 9 December 2020.
- ^ "Miles Franklin Literary Award 2020 shortlist announced". Books+Publishing. 17 June 2020. Retrieved 17 June 2020.
- ^ Evans, Kate Evans (26 April 2020). "Novel celebrating Wiradjuri language wins Book of the Year at major literary awards". ABC News. Retrieved 26 April 2020.
- ^ Cain, Sian (16 May 2022). "'Unflinching': Villawood graphic novel wins book of the year at NSW premier's literary awards". The Guardian. Retrieved 16 May 2022.
- ^ "Prime Minister's Literary Awards 2022 shortlists announced". Books+Publishing. 7 November 2022. Retrieved 8 November 2022.
- ^ Burke, Kelly (8 September 2022). "Queensland Literary awards: winners list reflects 'a moment of change for the nation'". The Guardian. Retrieved 8 September 2022.
- ^ "RSL International Writers". Royal Society of Literature. 3 September 2023. Retrieved 3 December 2023.
- ^ "Fellow Profile: Tony Birch". Australian Academy of the Humanities. Retrieved 24 November 2024.