Cirrus@Austlit

A Wiradjuri woman from Central New South Wales Kerry performed and conducted writing workshops nationally and internationally. She was the inaugural Chairperson of the First Nations Australians Writers Network (FNAWN). In 2013 she co-edited a collection of works with the Us Mob Writing (UMW) group ‘By Close of Business, and was co-editor for the Ora Nui Journal, a collaborative collection between First Nations Australia writers and Maori writers.

Kerry was a member of the Aboriginal Studies Press Advisory Committee and her poetry and prose has been published in many journals and anthologies nationally and internationally, including in the Macquarie PEN Anthology of Australian Literature and the literary journal, Southerly. She was a member of the ACT UMW group and FNAWN.

She edited, published and was published in numerous books and publications including:

• Talkin' About Country: Poetry Collection (Kuracca)
• The Strength of Us as Women: Black Women Speak (Ed): Ginninderra Press
• Our Place: Stories about good practice in youth work with young Aboriginal people South Sydney Youth Services: Co-editor with Shane Brown
• Message Stick: Contemporary Aboriginal Writing (Ed): Jukurrpa Books
• Ngunnunggula (Ed),  collection of works written by Aboriginal writers
• Black Woman, Black Life (Wakefield Press)

Kerry was a highly awarded recipient of support for her work as a poet and editor. In 2010 she received funding from the Australia Council to attend a poetry festival in the USA. In 2006 she received an ‘Outstanding Achievement in Poetry’ award and ‘Poet of Merit’ Award from the International Society of Poets. In 2005 she toured Aotearoa New Zealand as part of the Honouring Words 3rd International Indigenous Authors Celebration Tour. In 2003 she was awarded an International Residence from ATSIAB to attend Art Omi, New York, USA, in 1997 she toured South Africa performing in ‘ECHOES’ a national tour of the spoken word. In 2006 she received an 'Outstanding Achievement in Poetry' award and a 'Poet of Merit' Award from the International Society of Poets.

Her works has been translated in French, Korean, Bengali, Dutch and other languages.

Kerry was the daughter of Kevin Gilbert.