Tony Birch

Birch's maternal great-grandfather was an Afghan who migrated to Australia in 1890, who had to get exemption from the Immigration Restriction Act 1901 to take his wife home to meet the family. He also has Barbadian convict (James "Prince" Moodie, transported to Tasmania for 14 years for "disobedience") and Aboriginal heritage.^[1]

Birch was born around 1957^[1] and has grown up around Fitzroy, a working-class suburb of Melbourne once considered a slum.^[2] After being expelled from school for the second time, he left school aged 15 and became a telegram boy on a bicycle.^[1]

After spending a decade as a firefighter, Birch attended the University of Melbourne as a mature student when he was 30 years old. He was the first Aboriginal student to graduate with a degree in history from the University of Melbourne, and the first to receive an MA in Creative Writing. He taught Aboriginal history for several years before switching to Creative Writing. In 2003 he was awarded the Chancellor's Medal for the best PhD in Arts.^[1] During this period, Birch also worked as the Senior Indigenous Curator for Southeastern Australia at Museum Victoria.

Birch has appeared on ABC radio on shows such as Conversations with Richard Fidler,^[2] Life Matters^[3] and RN Afternoons.^[4][5]

In 2015 he became the first recipient of the Dr Bruce McGuinness Indigenous Research Fellowship at Victoria University in Melbourne.^[6][1] His work involves academic research, creative writing projects, student mentoring, lecturing and community engagement.^[6]

In 2019 he published The White Girl.^[7][1]

Birch was appointed to the Boisbouvier Chair in Australian Literature at the University of Melbourne in December 2022.^[8]

Birch is active in a variety of political and social movements, including climate justice, climate change, refugee-related issues and Indigenous issues. His novels integrate themes affecting Indigenous people, such as colonial oppression, dispossession, the Stolen Generations, and generational violence.^[1] He donates a portion of any prize money to the Indigenous youth organisation dedicated to climate justice, Seed.^[9][10]

• —— (2011). Blood (1st ed.). University of Queensland Press. ISBN 9780702239274.
• —— (2015). Ghost River. ISBN 9780702253775.
• —— (2019). The White Girl. University of Queensland Press. ISBN 9780702260384.
• —— (2023). Women & Children. University of Queensland Press. ISBN 9780702266270.

• —— (2006). Shadowboxing. Scribe Publications Pty Limited. ISBN 9781921753909.
• —— (2009). Father's Day. ISBN 9780980517972.
• —— (2014). The Promise: Stories. ISBN 9780702252112.
• —— (2017). Common People. University of Queensland Press. ISBN 9780702259838.
• —— (2021). Dark as Last Night. University of Queensland Press. ISBN 9780702263170.

• —— (2016). Broken Teeth. ISBN 9780980517972.
• —— (2021). Whisper Songs. University of Queensland Press. ISBN 9780702263279.

• —— (2018). Anita Heiss (ed.). "Gathering Strength". Growing Up Aboriginal in Australia. Black Inc. ISBN 9781863959810.