Board Members

For the past 34 years David Gaunt has been the co-owner of Gleebooks, the Sydney based independent bookseller. David has held various roles in industry associations, primarily the Australian Booksellers' Association, of which he is a Life Member, and the Sydney Writers' Festival on whose Board he sat for the first five years of its operation. In 2011 David was awarded the Member (AM) in the General Division of the Order of Australia for services to the book industry. David was Chair of the Indigenous Literacy Project 2007-2010.

Kristin Gill is the General Sales Manager for children's books at Penguin Books (Australia) and has worked in the publishing industry - across Trade and Educational - for twenty one years. Prior to this she taught music and English to secondary school students. Kristin has been involved with the growth and development of the Indigenous Literacy Project since 2006.

Professor Nakata is the Director of Nura Gili, the Indigenous centre at the University of New South Wales (UNSW). Professor Nakata also holds the title of Chair of Australian Indigenous Education and is the first Torres Strait Islander to receive a PhD in Australia. His current research work focuses on higher education, curriculum areas, the academic preparation of Indigenous students, and Indigenous knowledge and library services. He has published some important research work on Torres Strait Islanders and co-authored three academic books on various Indigenous Australian topics.

May O’Brien has spent much of her adult life furthering the cause of Indigenous Education. Born in Laverton WA, May was removed to the Mount Margaret Aboriginal Mission when she was only five. After many difficult years May became the first Aboriginal Teacher in Western Australia and began teaching at the very Mission where she had been placed as a young girl. After twenty five years of teaching May took a position in the Western Australian Ministry of Education where, over the coming years, she helped devise and implement a variety of Indigenous Education initiatives such as assisting in the formation of the National Aboriginal Education Committee. After retiring from her position as Superintendent of Aboriginal Education in 1988 May began to write extensively and has written a total of ten bilingual children’s books, which use both English and the Wongutha language.

May O’Brien has been awarded The British Empire Medal, the John Curtin Medal and was announced as a Western Australian State Finalist for Senior Australian of the Year in 2011. These awards all attest to the immensely valuable role May O’Brien has played, and continues to play, as an advocate for education opportunities that are offered to Indigenous people.

Suzy Wilson is the owner of Riverbend Books and Teahouse in Oxford St, Bulimba. Before embarking on her career in the Australian Book Industry she was a teacher, an education consultant with Education Queensland and a part time lecturer at QUT. As well as owning Riverbend, Suzy is the founder of the national Indigenous Literacy Foundation. In 2010 Suzy was awarded the Dromkeen Award for her efforts in 'being a catalyst in changing children's lives through literature’.