Meb Ata

Merwez Whaleboat is a Torres Strait Islander woman from Murray Island in the Eastern district of the Torres Strait. Her first language is Meriam Mir and she has a deep love of storytelling, always informed by women’s stories about kinship and connection among women, and largely set against the beautiful sea and land of the Torres Strait. Merwez, who has a double degree in Arts and Education from Deakin University, majoring in drama and literature, is a teacher, actor, poet and cultural advisor. She sings traditional action songs, tells stories, and imparts cultural learning to children. A passionate reader, her dream is to publish children’s books to improve learning and literary outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children.