Boori Pryor was born in North Queensland. His father is from the Birrigubba of the Bowen region and his mother from Yarrabah (near Cairns), a descendant of the Kungganji and Kukuimudji. Boori is a multi-talented performer and basketball player who has worked in film, television, modelling, sport, music and theatre-in-education. He is a recognised speaker on Aboriginal issues.

Boori is also an accomplished didjeridoo player who has performed solo with the Brisbane Symphony Orchestra and conducted a didjeridoo workshop for Yamaha, which was broadcast nationally on ABC Radio. He has performed in many schools throughout Australia, Europe and Asia.

In 1993 he received an award for ‘the promotion of Indigenous culture’, awarded by the National Aboriginal and Islander Observance Committee and in 1994 Boori performed for the ‘Musikantenstadl’ TV show. Televised from Austria it had a viewing audience of sixty million. In 1995 he performed in Sydney before Pope John Paul II during the beatification ceremonies for Mother Mary McKillop.

Boori has written several award-winning children’s books with Meme McDonald. These include MY GIRRAGUNDJI, THE BINNA BINNA MAN and NJUNJUL THE SUN.

Boori’s latest picture book is SHAKE A LEG, published by Allen & Unwin and winner of the 2011 Prime Minister’s Literary Award for Children’s Fiction.

Boori was named the inaugural Australian Children’s Laureate in 2012, together with Alison Lester.

Boori lives in Melbourne, but spends much of the year on the road. His stories are about finding strength within to deal with the challenges without, and his skill is to create positive visions of the future for both Indigenous and white people.