Samuel Wagan Watson

Samuel Wagan Watson is a contemporary Indigenous Australian poet.

Early life and education Samuel Wagan Watson was born in Brisbane and is of Aboriginal (Munanjali and Birri Gubba), Irish, German, and Dutch descent. His father is novelist and political activist Sam Watson (1952–2019).

He grew up in the Mt Gravatt area of Brisbane, and as a child frequently accompanied his parents to protests. He enjoyed rock music, particularly Janis Joplin and the Doobie Brothers, and aspired to be a rock musician. In 2000 an audio CD was produced of the three poets' work, called Blackfellas Whitefellas Wetlands. The very different voices and focus of the poets worked together to create a sense or place and of history.

His 2004 poetry collection Smoke Encrypted Whispers was set to music by 23 Brisbane-based composers, who each wrote a two-minute piece to respond to a particular poem. The project was commissioned by the clarinettist Paul Dean, who conducted a recording of the work featuring soprano Margaret Schindler and the Southern Cross Soloists, with Ron Haddrick narrating.

He performed as a singer for the first time in 2007, with Leah Flanagan, at the Newcastle National Young Writers Festival in Newcastle. 2015: Adelaide Writers' Week 2015: International Poetry Festival of Medellín, Colombia (where he represented Australia)

Recognition and awards The Eleanor Schonell Bridge in St Lucia, Brisbane, has some of Watson's poetry as decoration.

Awards and nominations include: 1999: Queensland Premier's Literary Awards, David Unaipon Award for an Emerging Indigenous Writers for Of Muse, Meandering and Midnight 2005: New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards, Kenneth Slessor Prize for Poetry Book of the Year for Smoke Encrypted Whispers 2018: Patrick White Literary Award

Personal life Watson's aunt was poet and family violence campaigner Maureen Watson. Hotel Bone (Vagabone Press, 2001) Smoke Encrypted Whispers. (UQP, 2004) Three legged dogs, and other poems. (Picaro Press, 2005) OCLC: 69249268

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