Nardi Simpson facts for kids

Nardi Simpson was born in 1975. She is an Aboriginal Australian musician and writer. She belongs to the Yuwaalaraay people. Nardi is one of the people who started the Indigenous folk music group called Stiff Gins. Her first novel, Song of the Crocodile, came out in 2020.

Early Life and Learning

Nardi Simpson was born in Sydney, Australia, in 1975. Her family comes from the Yuwaalaraay people in New South Wales. She spent a lot of her childhood visiting this area.

After studying at Eora College, she went to the University of Sydney. She earned a bachelor's degree in Aboriginal studies there.

Music Career

Nardi Simpson has been a musician for more than 20 years. She helped create the Indigenous folk group Stiff Gins in 1999. This group has released several music recordings. Their first EP, Soh Fa, came out in 1999. Their first album, Origins, was released in 2001.

Nardi also started the Barayagal Choir in Sydney. Besides performing, she writes music too. ABC has called her one of Australia's most exciting composers. She is currently studying to get her Ph.D. in music composition. She attends the Australian National University. In 2019, she joined the Ngarra Burria First Nations Composers Initiative.

Writing Journey

In 2018, Nardi Simpson won the State Library of Queensland's black&write! Writing Fellowship. She won it for the story that became her first novel. This book, Song of the Crocodile, was published in 2020 by Hachette Australia.

About Song of the Crocodile

Song of the Crocodile tells the story of three generations of women. They are all from the same family. The book explores the challenges between Indigenous and settler families. It shows how their town changes as it grows. The novel also includes musical parts and words from the Yuwaalaraay language.

This novel received a lot of praise. It was considered for the Stella Prize and the Miles Franklin Award. It was also a finalist for the Victorian Premier's Literary Award for Indigenous Writing. In 2021, it won the ALS Gold Medal. It also won the 2021 University of Queensland Fiction Book Award.

Other Books and Works

Nardi Simpson's second novel, The Belburd, was published in 2024. This book connects the story of an Indigenous poet in modern-day Sydney. It also shares stories of people from the late 1700s in the same area.

Simpson also wrote the introduction for a famous book. It was Ruby Langford Ginibi's memoir, Don't Take Your Love to Town. This book was reprinted in 2023. It is part of the University of Queensland Press' First Nations Classics series. This series highlights important writings by First Nations Australians.

Awards and Recognition

Nardi Simpson's novel, Song of the Crocodile, has won several important awards.

• In 2021, it won the ALS Gold Medal.
• Also in 2021, it won the University of Queensland Fiction Book Award.
• The book was also a finalist or longlisted for many other awards. These include the Stella Prize, the Miles Franklin Award, and the Victorian Premier's Literary Award for Indigenous Writing.