The Vision Australia Library are thrilled to announce their continued sponsorship of the Melbourne Writers Festival in 2025. We are privileged to welcome award-winning author Nardi Simpson to discuss her newly released novel, The Belburd – a story of motherhood, creation, belonging and connection to Country.
Following the success of her debut novel, Song of the Crocodile, Nardi Simpson returns with a lyrical, evocative story of a young Blak woman navigating life in contemporary Sydney. Interwoven with the story of a birth spirit known as Sprite, The Belburd deftly treads the line between the everyday and the metaphysical, offering a profound exploration of the mystery of being.
Join Nardi as she discusses place, cultural storytelling, identity and belonging with Daniel James, a Yorta Yorta Melbourne-based writer and broadcaster.
About Nardi Simpson
Nardi Simpson is a Yuwaalaraay storyteller and performer living in Sydney. Nardi works as a research associate at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, growing story and sound projects in both her Sydney and Yuwaalaraay communities.
Her first novel, Song of the Crocodile, was longlisted for the 2021 Stella Prize and Miles Franklin Awards. Nardi’s second novel, The Belburd, was released in October 2024, and is described as a “masterfully woven novel….about the precious fragility of a life”.
