Anita Heiss

Dr Anita Marianne Heiss (born 1968) is an Australian author, poet, cultural activist and social commentator whose work spans non-fiction, historical fiction, commercial women's fiction, poetry, social commentary and travel articles. She is a regular guest at writers' festivals and travels internationally performing her work and lecturing on Indigenous literature. Heiss is an advocate for Indigenous literature and literacy through her writing for adults and children and her membership of boards and committees. She is a Board Member for the National Aboriginal Sporting Chance Academy, an Advocate for the National Centre of Indigenous Excellence and an Indigenous Literacy Day Ambassador.

Heiss is Professor of Communications at the University of Queensland and Adjunct Professor at the Jumbunna Indigenous House of Learning, University of Technology, Sydney.

Heiss is a member of the Wiradjuri nation of central NSW. She was born in Sydney in 1968. Her mother Elsie Heiss (née Williams) was born at Erambie Mission, Cowra in Wiradjuri country. Her father Josef Heiss was born in St Michael in the Lungau, Salzburg, Austria.

Heiss was educated at St Clare's College, Waverley then the University of New South Wales where she completed her Bachelor of Arts in History (Honours),1991. She gained her PhD in Communication and Media at the University of Western Sydney, 2000.

Since 2000 Heiss has undertaken writers-in- residence positions at Macquarie University, Sydney and throughout NSW. She was Deputy-Director at Warawara Department of Indigenous Studies, Macquarie University; Communications Advisor, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Arts Board, Australia Council for the Arts and consultant researcher / writer for the Aboriginal History website at the City of Sydney. Anita was appointed to the State Library of Queensland board in 2017. She runs her own communications business, Curringa Communications.

Heiss has lived in Sydney for most of her life and currently resides in Brisbane, Queensland.

• 2012 – Finalist: Human Rights Awards Media (non-fiction) for Am I Black Enough for You?
• 2012 – Winner: VIC Premier's Literary Award for Indigenous Writing, 2012 for Am I Black Enough for You?
• 2011 – Winner: Deadly Award for Most Outstanding Contribution to Literature for Paris Dreaming
• 2010 – Winner: Deadly Award for Most Outstanding Contribution to Literature for Manhattan Dreaming
• 2008 – Winner: Deadly Award for Most Outstanding Contribution to Literature, with Peter Minter for the Macquarie PEN Anthology of Aboriginal Literature.
• 2007 – Winner: Deadly Award for Most Outstanding Contribution to Literature for Not Meeting Mr Right.
• 2004 – Nominee: Deadly Award for Most Outstanding Contribution to Literature
• 2004 – Microsoft / Bulletin Magazine, Smart 100 (Arts and Entertainment).
• 2003 – Winner: Inaugural Australian Society of Authors Medal (Under 35) for contribution to Australian community and life.
• 2002 – Winner: NSW Premier's History Award (Audio Visual) for Barani: the Aboriginal History of the City of Sydney
• 2002 – Shortlist:NSW Premier's History Award (Young People's History) for Who Am I? The diary of Mary Talence, Sydney 1937.
• NSW Indigenous Arts Fellowship, 2004
• ANZAC Fellowship (NZ Department of External Affairs) to New Zealand to meet Maori authors and publishers. June 1997
• Writer's Grants from the Australia Council for the Arts 1994/1996/2011