Bri Lee

Bri Lee
Born (1991-12-13) 13 December 1991 (age 33)
Queensland, Australia
Occupation(s)Writer, activist, journalist
Known forLegal activism
Notable workEggshell Skull
Websitewww.bri-lee.com

Brianna "Bri" Lee (born 13 December 1991)[1][2] is an Australian author, journalist, and activist, known for her 2018 memoir Eggshell Skull.

Early life

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Brianna Lee was born in Queensland, Australia.[3]

Career

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Writing and journalism

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Lee's early writing work included a short story published in Voiceworks,[4] while serving as the founder and editor of the (now defunct) feminist quarterly periodical Hot Chicks with Big Brains.[5] Hot Chicks with Big Brains ran from 2015 until 2018, spanning seven issues. It featured articles and interviews with diverse women and non-binary people, including Darug elder Aunty Jacinta Tobin, Isabella Manfredi, Mehreen Faruqi,[6] Ruby Tandoh,[7] and Clementine Ford.[8]

Lee's first book, the memoir Eggshell Skull was published by Allen & Unwin in early 2018.[9] It describes Lee's experience as a complainant in the Australian court system for sexual abuse she was subjected to as a child, while simultaneously working as a Judge's Associate working on similar cases. The memoir was well received, winning several awards including the People's Choice Award at the 2019 Victorian Premier's Literary Awards,[10] as well as the Davitt Award for debut novel[11] and the Ned Kelly Award for best true crime[12] in the same year. Funding for story development for a film adaptation was granted by Screen Australia in March 2023.[13] In 2021, passages from Eggshull Skull were quoted in a parliamentary debate regarding reform to the criminal justice system in Queensland.[14] In 2023, Lee's work was discussed in the Parliament of New South Wales after the second reading speech for the Criminal Procedure Amendment (Child Sexual Offence Evidence) Bill 2023.[15]

In October 2019, Lee's essay Beauty was published by Allen & Unwin.[16] In the essay, Lee examines her struggles with disordered eating. It was praised for its dissection of corporate middle class culture.[17]

In 2020 Lee was appointed the Australian Copyright Agency's writer-in-residence at the University of Technology Sydney.[18]

Her book, Who Gets to Be Smart, was published in 2021 by Allen & Unwin.[19]

In 2022, Lee's journalism for The Saturday Paper investigated a 'loophole' whereby perpetrators of abuse were able to shield their assets from civil claims brought by their victims, by moving them into their superannuation.[20] This was followed by further coverage by other outlets such as the ABC, and calls by Australian of the Year, Grace Tame for the government to enact reforms.[21] The Australian Government subsequently pledged to close this loophole.[22] Similarly, in 2023, Lee's investigative reporting into the financial affairs of Australian fashion label Ellery in The Monthly sparked further investigation and exposure by the ABC and other outlets.[23][24] Lee was nominated for a Walkley Award for the piece.[25]

Lee's debut novel, The Work, dealing with the development of a long-distance relationship between an art gallery owner in Chelsea, Manhattan, and a Queensland country boy turned art dealer, was published in 2024.[26]

Advocacy and media

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Together with Bond University's Professor Jonathan Crowe,[27] Lee co-authored legal research and built ConsentLawQLD.com, a platform for the advocacy which led to the Queensland Attorney-General referring consent in rape and sexual assault to the Queensland Law Reform Commission in 2019.[28][29]

Lee has been featured in advertising campaigns for brands including Sportsgirl,[30] Mimco,[31] Camilla and Marc,[32] and Fashion Journal.[33] Her advocacy has been recognised with a shortlisting for Women's Agenda Leadership Awards[34] and a placement as one of the Australian Financial Review's "Women of Influence" in 2019.[35]

In 2021, in partnership with the Women's Justice Network and Gleebooks, Lee launched "Freadom Inside", an initiative facilitating the provision of books to inmates in women's correctional facilities in New South Wales.[36]

Lee hosts the 'B List Bookclub', a monthly bookclub featuring Australian and international authors, with the State Library of New South Wales.[37] Lee has made several appearances on the ABC program The Drum[38] as well as appearing on Radio National,[39] discussing issues such as law reform, and her written work.

Awards

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Honours

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Year Awards and fellowships
2016 Inaugural Kat Muscat Fellowship[40]
2017 Griffith Review Queensland Writer's Fellowship[41]
2018 Queensland Literary Awards – Premier's Young Publishers and Writers Award[42]
2019 Australian Financial Review – Women of Influence 2019[35]
2021 University of Queensland Alumni Award, for advocacy for survivors of sexual assault and for law reform[43]

Literary awards

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Year Work Award Category Result Ref
2018 Eggshell Skull Nib Literary Award for Research and Writing People's Choice Won [44]
2019 Australian Book Industry Awards (ABIA) Biography of the Year Won [45]
Matt Richell New Writer Award Shortlisted [46]
CHASS Book Prize — Shortlisted [47]
Davitt Award True Crime Longlisted [48]
Debut Crime Book Won [49]
Indie Book Awards Non-Fiction Shortlisted [50]
Ned Kelly Award True Crime Won [51]
Stella Prize — Longlisted [52]
Victorian Premier's Literary Awards Nonfiction Shortlisted [53]
People's Choice Award Shortlisted [54]
2021 Who Gets to Be Smart Nib Literary Award for Research and Writing Mark and Evette Moran Nib Literary Award Longlisted [55]
2022 Australian Book Industry Awards (ABIA) Non-Fiction Longlisted [56]
Indie Books Award Non-Fiction Shortlisted [57]

Works

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References

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  1. ^ Brie Lee", WorldCat
  2. ^ Bri Lee (2 May 2017). "Young lady, that's inappropriate". Griffith Review. ISBN 9781925498356. Retrieved 14 June 2024.
  3. ^ ""Bri Lee"". Booked Out Speakers. Retrieved 19 June 2024.
  4. ^ Lee, Bri (Winter 2015). "Hunting with Robert". Voiceworks. 100: 57–59.
  5. ^ Lee, Bri. "Hot Chicks with Big Brains". Archived from the original on 6 August 2018. Retrieved 24 October 2018.
  6. ^ "Issue #4". Hot Chicks with Big Brains. Retrieved 21 February 2021.
  7. ^ "Issue #5". Hot Chicks with Big Brains. Retrieved 21 February 2021.
  8. ^ "Issue #6". Hot Chicks with Big Brains. Retrieved 21 February 2021.
  9. ^ Lee, Bri (2018). Eggshell Skull. Allen & Unwin.
  10. ^ "VPLAs 2019: Manus detainee Boochani wins $100k top prize". Books+Publishing. 1 February 2019. Retrieved 22 March 2023.
  11. ^ "'The Ruin' wins best novel at 2019 Davitt Awards". Books+Publishing. 2 September 2019. Retrieved 22 March 2023.
  12. ^ "Winners of the Ned Kelly Awards 2019 announced". Books+Publishing. 9 September 2019. Retrieved 22 March 2023.
  13. ^ "Screen Australia funds Eggshell Skull adaptation development". Books+Publishing. 22 March 2023. Retrieved 22 March 2023.
  14. ^ Queensland Parliamentary Hansard. 2021.
  15. ^ "Hansard & House Papers". www.parliament.nsw.gov.au. Retrieved 24 October 2023.
  16. ^ Lee, Bri (2019). Beauty. [S.l.]: Allen & Unwin. ISBN 978-1760876524. OCLC 1111771887.
  17. ^ "A Review of 'Beauty' by Bri Lee". Westerly Magazine. 16 January 2020. Retrieved 9 February 2021.
  18. ^ "Bri Lee joins UTS as Copyright Agency's Writer-in-Residence". University of Technology Sydney. 24 February 2020. Retrieved 25 February 2020.
  19. ^ Silcox, Beejay (10 June 2021). "Who Gets to Be Smart by Bri Lee review – gutsy but unfocused interrogation of academic privilege". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 10 June 2021. Retrieved 26 June 2021.
  20. ^ Lee, Bri (26 March 2022). "Delays are allowing abusers to hide assets from their victims". The Saturday Paper. Retrieved 3 August 2023.
  21. ^ Shine, Rhiannon (22 June 2022). "Grace Tame wants Albanese government to close paedophile superannuation loophole". ABC News (Australia). Retrieved 3 August 2023.
  22. ^ Shine, Rhiannon (18 January 2023). "Government pledges to close child abuser superannuation loophole". ABC News (Australia). Retrieved 3 August 2023.
  23. ^ Lee, Bri (1 April 2023). "Debt-à-porter". The Monthly. Retrieved 3 August 2023.
  24. ^ Brown, Rachael (1 July 2023). "Designer Kym Ellery's edgy outfits won over celebrities. Her 2019 fashion business collapse left suppliers owed millions". ABC News (Australia). Retrieved 3 August 2023.
  25. ^ Gorman, James (20 September 2023). "2023 Walkley Business Journalism Award Finalists Announced". The Walkley Foundation. Retrieved 24 October 2023.
  26. ^ Lee, Bri (2024). The Work. Allen & Unwin. ISBN 9781761069390.
  27. ^ Wolfe, Natalie (10 July 2019). "The few seconds and hair touch that let a rapist go free". News.com.au. Retrieved 3 September 2010.
  28. ^ ""Submission to the Queensland Law Reform Commission's Consent and Mistake of Fact Review" by Andrew Dyer" (PDF). The University of Sydney. Retrieved 19 June 2024.
  29. ^ D'Ath, Yvette (9 July 2019). "Palaszczuk government to refer consent laws to Queensland Law Reform Commission". The Queensland Cabinet and Ministerial Directory. Retrieved 3 September 2020.
  30. ^ apatelsus (28 January 2019). "Meet That Girl: Bri Lee". Blog | Sportsgirl. Retrieved 9 February 2021.
  31. ^ "Unite – Meet Bri Lee". www.mimco.com.au. Retrieved 21 February 2021.
  32. ^ "Bri Lee". Camilla and Marc. Retrieved 21 February 2021.
  33. ^ "Queensland's sexual consent law is changing thanks to Bri Lee". Fashion Journal. 8 August 2019. Retrieved 21 February 2021.
  34. ^ "Announcing the finalists of the 2019 Women's Agenda Leadership Awards". Women's Agenda. 15 August 2019. Retrieved 21 February 2021.
  35. ^ a b "Bri Lee". Afrwomen of Influence. Retrieved 21 February 2021.
  36. ^ "Women's Justice Network". Gleebooks.com.au. Retrieved 27 October 2021.
  37. ^ "The B List Bookclub". State Library of NSW. 16 April 2020. Retrieved 21 February 2021.
  38. ^ "The Drum: Tuesday 23rd of June", ABC News (Australia), 23 June 2020, retrieved 21 February 2021
  39. ^ "Women and the Law". ABC Radio National. 3 May 2017. Retrieved 21 February 2021.
  40. ^ "Announcing The 2016 Kat Muscat Fellow". Express Media. 22 February 2016. Retrieved 9 February 2021.
  41. ^ "Fellowship winners announced". Griffith Review. 10 January 2017. Retrieved 9 February 2021.
  42. ^ "2018 Queensland Literary Award winners show off local talent". Ministerial Media Statements. Retrieved 21 February 2021.
  43. ^ "Meet our 2021 UQ Alumni Award winners, Bri Lee and Mikhara Ramsing". law.uq.edu.au. 16 September 2021. Retrieved 27 October 2021.
  44. ^ "Winners announced today for the national 2018 Mark and Evette Moran Nib Literary Award - Waverley Council". www.waverley.nsw.gov.au. Retrieved 10 October 2024.
  45. ^ "Biography Book of the Year". ABIA. Retrieved 21 February 2021.
  46. ^ "2019 ABIA Shortlist Announce". ABIA. 10 April 2019. Retrieved 21 February 2021.
  47. ^ "Media Releases | CHASS". Retrieved 21 February 2021.
  48. ^ "2019-Davitt-Awards-long-list" (PDF).
  49. ^ "The Davitt Award winners 2019". www.readings.com.au. Retrieved 21 February 2021.
  50. ^ AusIndieBooks (15 January 2019). "Shortlist Announced for Indie Book Awards 2019". Indie Book Awards. Retrieved 10 October 2024.
  51. ^ "Ned Kelly Awards 2019 Winner – Allen & Unwin – Australia". www.allenandunwin.com. Retrieved 21 February 2021.
  52. ^ "Announcing the Winner of the 2019 Stella Prize". The Stella Prize. Retrieved 21 February 2021.
  53. ^ "Victorian Premier's Literary Awards 2019 shortlists announced". Books+Publishing. Retrieved 10 October 2024.
  54. ^ "Victorian Premier's Literary Awards 2019". The Wheeler Centre. Archived from the original on 29 December 2018. Retrieved 9 February 2021.
  55. ^ "2021 Mark and Evette Moran Nib Literary Award longlist announced - Waverley Council". www.waverley.nsw.gov.au. Retrieved 10 October 2024.
  56. ^ Gosselin, Tessa (22 March 2022). "2022 Long List Announcement". ABIA. Retrieved 10 October 2024.
  57. ^ "Indie Book Awards 2022 shortlists announced". Books+Publishing. Retrieved 26 January 2022.
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