Dr Merlinda Bobis

Dr. Merlinda Bobis is a trilingual Filipino-Australian writer, performer, and scholar. Her creative and critical works explore issues on gender, environment, migration, borders, memory, language, ethics and care, and decoloniality. She published 4 novels, 6 poetry books, 2 collections of short stories, a monograph of lectures on creative research and had 10 dramatic works performed internationally. She also published numerous literary works in anthologies, journals and magazines. Influenced by Philippine ways of ‘feeling-thinking-doing’, her scholarly articles emerge from grassroots theorising and creative-critical empathy. She developed and facilitated community arts and advocacy projects on environment, resilience of women and girls, migration and language, and cross-cultural engagement. Author’s website: merlindabobis.com

Her literary awards include the 2021 Canberra Critics’ Circle Award for her collection of short stories The Kindness of Birds; the 2016 Christina Stead Prize for Fiction in the NSW Premier's Literary Awards for her novel Locust Girl. A Lovesong; three Philippine National Book Awards (2016: Locust Girl, 2014: Fish-Hair Woman, 2000: White Turtle); 2013 MUBA for her novel Fish-Hair Woman; 2000 Steele Rudd Award for the Best Published Collection of Australian Short Stories for White Turtle; 2006 Philippine National Balagtas Award for her poetry and prose (in English, Filipino and Bikol); 1998 Prix Italia, 1998 Australian Writers’ Guild Award and 1995 Ian Reed Radio Drama Prize for her play Rita’s Lullaby; three Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards in Literature Poetry Category. The Kindness of Birds was also shortlisted for the 2022 Christina Stead Prize and the Steele Rudd Award, and was Highly Commended for the 2022 ACT Book of the Year. As well, her sixth poetry book Accidents of Composition was Highly Commended for the 2018 ACT Book of the Year. Other shortlistings include the 2016 ACT Book of the Year for Locust Girl, 2006 Australian Literature Society Gold Medal for her first novel Banana Heart Summer and the 1998 The Age Poetry Book of the Year for Summer Was a Fast Train Without Terminals.

Doctorate of Creative Arts, University of Wollongong 1995. Master of Arts in Literature, University of Santo Tomas Manila 1987. Bachelor of Arts, Aquinas University of Legazpi 1980

Novel, Short story, Poetry, Performance, Creative-Critical practice, Creative-Critical empathy, Grassroots theorising, Ethics and care, Environment and culture, Gender, Decoloniality, Borders and cross-cultural engagement, Transnationalism, Conflict and trauma.