Boori Monty Pryor
Boori Monty Pryor is a multi-award-winning children’s author, didjeridoo player, storyteller, dancer and renowned public speaker.
Boori was born in Townsville, North Queensland. His father was from the Birrigubba people of the Bowen region and his mother is from Yarrabah (near Cairns), a descendant of the Kungganji. Boori played Basketball for the Queensland State Under 18’s team and went on to play in the Victorian State Championship League for five years. He also coached the first National Aboriginal Women’s Basketball team. Throughout the 1970’s he worked as a professional model and as a disc jockey at nightclubs around Australia. This time in Boori’s life is captured in the ABC series Wrong Kind of Black. He is an accomplished didjeridoo player who has performed solo with the Brisbane Symphony Orchestra. Since the early nineties he has performed internationally at Museums, Theatres and Festivals.
More About Boori
Boori has collaborated with Meme McDonald on five books: Maybe Tomorrow (1998), My Girragundji (1998), The Binna Binna Man (1999), Nunjul The Sun (2002) and Flytrap (2002).
Maybe Tomorrow received a Special Commendation at the 1998 Human Rights Awards and My Girragundji was awarded The Children’s Book Council of Australia 1999 Book of The Year Award.
In 2000 The Binna Binna Man received three of the NSW Premier’s Literary Awards: Book of the Year, the Ethel Turner Prize and the Ethnic Affairs Commission Award. In 2011 Shake a Leg, a picture book collaboration with Jan Ormerod, won the Prime Minister’s Literary Awards for Children’s fiction. In 2001, 2006, 2010 and 2013 a stage production of My Girragundji toured throughout most Australian states.
Boori was the Children’s Laureate of Australia, sharing this title with Alison Lester in 2012 and 2013. In 2017 the short film Brown Paper Bag (starring Boori and inspired by his work) won the St Kilda Film Festival “Best Achievement in Indigenous Film Making” award. In 2018 Princess Pictures and Youthworx Productions released an ABC series called Wrong Kind of Black based on his extraordinary life. A Youthworx Productions documentary titled Storykeepers about Boori’s life long experience as a performer and storyteller is due for release in 2019/2020.
Books Available
Maybe Tomorrow (Penquin 1998) – Boori Pryor & Meme MacDonald
My Girragundji (Allen & Unwin 1998) – Boori Pryor & Meme MacDonald
The Binna Binna Man (Allen & Unwin 1999) – Boori Pryor & Meme MacDonald
Nunjul the Sun (Allen & Unwin 2002) – Boori Pryor & Meme MacDonald
Flytrap (Allen & Unwin 2002) – Boori Pryor & Meme MacDonald
Shake a Leg (Allen & Unwin 2010) – Boori Pryor & Jan Ormerod
Literary Awards/Recognition
Shake a Leg Prime Minister’s Literary Award (2011) Children’s Fiction
Nunjul the Sun Victorian Premier’s Library Award (2002) Young Adult Fiction
The Binna Binna Man NSW Premier’s Literary Awards (2000) Ethel Turner Prize
The Binna Binna Man NSW Premier’s Literary Awards (2000) Ethnic Affairs Commission Award
My Girragundji Children’s Book Council of Australia (1999) Book of the Year
The Binna Binna Man NSW Premier’s Literary Boori Award (2000) Book of the Year
