Boori Monty Pryor facts for kids

Boori Monty Pryor (born in 1950) is an amazing Aboriginal Australian author and storyteller. He is famous for being the very first Australian Children's Laureate from 2012 to 2013. This special role meant he helped inspire children across Australia to read and love books.

Boori Monty Pryor's Early Life

Boori Monty Pryor comes from two important Aboriginal nations. His family is from the Birri Gubba nation, which is from the Bowen region. He also has family from the Kunggandji people, who are from Yarrabah, a place near Cairns. His father was Monty Prior.

Boori Monty Pryor's Career

Before he started writing books, Boori Monty Pryor spent many years sharing Aboriginal Australian culture with schools. He would perform traditional dances, play the didgeridoo, and tell stories. He also worked in film, television, sports, and music. In 1986, he even acted in a show called “Women of the Sun” with his brother, Paul Pryor.

In 2013, Boori Monty Pryor gave a big speech at the Come Out Festival in Adelaide. He talked about how important storytelling, performing, and dancing are. He explained how these activities help children learn to read and write, enjoy books, and understand Indigenous cultures.

He was also a special ambassador for the National Year of Reading in Australia during 2012. This role meant he helped encourage everyone to read more.

Boori Monty Pryor in Film

In 2018, a web and television series called Wrong Kind of Black was released on ABC iView. This show was narrated by Boori Monty Pryor and was based on his own life story. In September 2019, the series was even nominated for an International Emmy award, which is a big honor for television shows around the world.

Awards and Honours for Boori Monty Pryor

Boori Monty Pryor has received many awards for his work.

• In 1990, he won the National Aboriginal and Islander Day Observance Committee (NAIDOC) Award. He received this award for his amazing work in promoting Indigenous culture.
• In 2011, his book Shake a Leg won the Prime Minister's Literary Award for Children’s Fiction.
• In 2012, Boori Monty Pryor and Alison Lester were chosen as the very first Australian Children's Laureates.

Many of Pryor's other books, including those he wrote with Meme McDonald, have also won important awards.

• 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.

Selected Works by Boori Monty Pryor

Boori Monty Pryor has written many wonderful books for different age groups.

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

Non-fiction Books

• Maybe Tomorrow, co-authored with Meme McDonald (1998).