Laurie May is an Mparntwe/Alice-Springs based poet, spoken word performer and poetry educator who writes about poverty perspectives and the interconnectedness of family, time and place. Originally from the Gulf of Carpentaria, Laurie May has made the desert their home. With Aboriginal ancestry from Central Queensland from their father and New Zealand heritage from their ma they have the saltwater, the red dirt and long white cloud in their veins.
With a background in English Literature and Journalism, and the music industry, Laurie previously managed the music department at Central Australian Aboriginal Media Association, and the Bush Bands Bash program, as well as winning an Australian Women in Music Award in 2019.
Laurie’s work has been published in Red Room Poetry’s Spoken Air, Kill Your Darlings and ABC Artworks, and they have over 13 years performing at festivals including Emerging Writers’ Festival, Word Travels, Woodford Folk Festival and of course, the National Young Writers’ Festival.
Laurie is the creator and Executive Director of Red Dirt Poetry, a regional poetry organisation with the flagship event Red Dirt Poetry Festival.
