Gig Ryan

Gig Ryan, born Elizabeth Anne Martina Ryan, is an Australian poet. She is a recipient of the Christopher Brennan Award.

Early life Ryan was born in Leicester, England in 1956. This was when her father, Australian surgeon Peter John Ryan, had taken the family to England to gain his surgical qualifications (FRCS). After they returned in 1957, Ryan grew up in Melbourne, and was educated in the Catholic school system.

In 1993, Ryan earned a B.A. in Latin and Ancient Greek,

Career At seventeen, Ryan won the Victorian 1974 Maryborough Prize, and published her first poems. Ryan lived in Sydney 1978–1990. Before moving to Sydney, she had co-founded Melbourne women writers' magazine Luna in 1974, which she co-edited and reviewed for until '78. Ryan later became poetry editor of The Age newspaper (1998–2016). selecting a weekly poem, and regularly reviewing contemporary poetry. 1999 Victorian Premier's Prize for Poetry, winner for Pure and Applied 2002 Kenneth Slessor Prize for Poetry, shortlisted for Heroic Money 2012 ALS Gold Medal, shortlisted for New and Selected Poems 2012 Prime Minister's Literary Award for Poetry, shortlisted for New and Selected Poems 2015 Christopher Brennan Award