Boori Monty Pryor facts for kids

Boori Monty Pryor was born in 1950. He is a famous Aboriginal Australian author. He is best known for being a wonderful storyteller. He was also the very first Australian Children's Laureate from 2012 to 2013. This special role means he helped share the joy of reading with children across Australia.

Who is Boori Monty Pryor?

Boori Monty Pryor comes from two important Aboriginal nations. His family is from the Birri Gubba nation near Bowen. They are also from the Kunggandji people from Yarrabah, close to Cairns. His father was named Monty Prior.

Boori's Amazing Career

Before writing books, Boori Monty Pryor spent many years sharing Aboriginal Australian culture with schools. He would perform traditional dances. He also played the didgeridoo and told many stories.

He has also worked in movies, TV, sports, and music. In 1986, Boori even acted in a show called “Women of the Sun”. His brother Paul Pryor was in it too.

In 2013, Boori gave a big speech at the Come Out Festival in Adelaide. He talked about how important storytelling, performing, and dancing are. He said these things help children learn to read and love books. They also help kids learn about Indigenous cultures.

Boori was also a special helper for the National Year of Reading in 2012. He encouraged everyone in Australia to read more books.

Boori's Life on Screen

In 2018, a web and television series called Wrong Kind of Black came out. It was shown on ABC iView. This show was based on Boori Monty Pryor’s own life story. He also narrated, or told, the story in the series. In 2019, Wrong Kind of Black was even nominated for an International Emmy award!

Awards and Special Honours

Boori Monty Pryor has won many awards for his work.

• In 1990, he received the National Aboriginal and Islander Day Observance Committee (NAIDOC) Award. This award recognized his amazing work in sharing Indigenous culture.
• In 2011, his book Shake a Leg won the Prime Minister's Literary Award for Children’s Fiction.
• In 2012, Boori and another author, Alison Lester, became the first ever Australian Children's Laureates. This is a very special role that promotes reading for children.

Many of Boori's books have won other important awards. This includes books he wrote with Meme McDonald.

• Maybe Tomorrow (1998) received a special mention from the Human Rights Awards.
• My Girragundji (1998) won a Children's Book Council of Australia Award.
• The Binna Binna Man (1999) also won several awards.

Boori's Books

Here are some of the books Boori Monty Pryor has written:

Picture Books

• Shake a Leg, illustrated by Jan Ormerod (2010). This book won the Prime Minister's Literary Award for Children's Fiction in 2011.
• Story Doctors, illustrated by Rita Sinclair (2021).

Young Adult Novels

• My Girragundji, written with Meme McDonald (1998). This book won a Children's Book Council of Australia Award.
• The Binna Binna Man, written with Meme McDonald (1999). This book won an Ethnic Affairs Commission Award in 2000.
• Njunjul the Sun, written with Meme McDonald (2002).
• Flytrap, written with Meme McDonald (2002).

Non-fiction

• Maybe Tomorrow, written with Meme McDonald (1998).