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A Billabong Swim to the Subway
A bold, genre-blurring collection of short stories, flash fiction, songs, and spoken word—spanning decades, countries, and artistic forms.
Blending cinematic literary fiction, magical realism, psychological horror, and absurdist satire, Billabong explores themes of cultural immersion, personal transformation, and the fluid intersections of identity across urban and outback Australia, Papua New Guinea, and Tokyo.
Imagine a Coen Brothers film written by Kafka, with a soundtrack by Bob Dylan and Nick Cave, with Nicole Kidman and Liv Ullman calling the shots.
Many of these works have been shortlisted for major literary awards, broadcast on ABC, or adapted into films and plays screened at top-tier festivals.
Former UQP editor Jo Holman describes my work as:
"Original and of high quality, pushing the boundaries of publishing in an exciting and accessible way while making a significant contribution to the arts in the Northern Territory and Australia as a whole"
The X Who Thought It Was a Y and Went Z
A playful, heartwarming, and thought-provoking 10-book picture series for ages 4-6, The X Who Thought It Was a Y and Went Z explores identity, belonging, and self-discovery through humor, whimsy, and gentle life lessons.
Each book follows a lovable character who mistakenly believes they are something they are not—leading to an unexpected and delightful sound that doesn’t quite fit!
From a dog who thinks he’s a fish but says 'moo' to a star convinced it’s a moon and doesn’t go 'twinkle twinkle,' each story takes young readers on a journey of self-acceptance, friendship, and the joy of embracing what makes us unique.
Collaborations
Collaborations with Two Giants of NT Arts
Earth Portraits was a performance blending soundscapes and music to accompany Rod Moss' drawings and poetry at the NT Writers Festival 2021.
Intruders was a multidisciplinary performance inspired by Andrew McMillan’s award-winning book, An Intruder’s Guide to East Arnhem Land. The production featured choreographed readings with dancers, accompanied by musicians on cello, violin, and didjeridoo, bringing McMillan’s powerful storytelling to life.
Songs: Scrape Me A Coconut
1990 and 2024
Spanning more than three decades, Scrape Me a Coconut is a collection that bridges time, place, and artistic evolution—a bookend of songs and spoken word pieces first conceived while boating around Papua New Guinea in 1990, now completed after 15 years of living in Australia’s Top End.
More than just an album of songs, it holds worlds—places of grit and beauty, where memory clashes with modernity, and the roads taken—and not—linger in melody and verse.
From the raw, fevered poetry of the title track Scrape Me a Coconut to the mythic wail of Edge of Zanzibar, the album’s journey is both unflinchingly personal and wildly expansive—at once razor-sharp in its wit and deep in its longing.
Events
Katsu! was an alien/native art event I produced and directed in Tokyo from 1995 to 2000, showcasing the best of both established and emerging Japanese and non-Japanese poets, musicians, painters, actors, filmmakers, and dancers.
It began with me DJing the Ambient Lounge at Club Blue for the acid jazz unit United Future Organization and culminated in an eight-hour event featuring 80 performers and exotic animals at the massive Club Asia, Shibuya.
Japan’s foremost poet, Tanikawa Shuntarō, loved the initiative and performed numerous times.
"The best alternative entertainment in town." — Asahi Evening News
Health/Education programs
Signal was a Zoom-based initiative designed to provide ongoing support for volatile substance use (VSU) youths after they graduated from the CAAPS program and returned to their communities during the COVID pandemic.
By leveraging virtual mentoring, peer check-ins, and structured engagement, Signal helped sustain positive behavioral change and ensured that young people remained connected to support networks despite geographic isolation.
Health/Education programs
Beats for the Body is an inclusive, rhythm-based movement program designed for disabled people and seniors, blending drumming, movement games, and singing to foster joy, confidence, and physical engagement.
Each session is carefully structured to balance high-energy play with calming sensory experiences, helping participants regulate emotions while building coordination and self-assurance. Adaptive instruments and game variations ensure that everyone—regardless of ability—can fully participate and experience the power of rhythm.
With a focus on fun, unity, and resetting relationships between clients and carers, Beats for the Body transforms music into a shared language of movement and connection.
“In the three years that Lee has run his program… he keeps every client engaged.
The clients thoroughly enjoy his program and look forward to it each week.”
— Damien Darby, Activities Coordinator, TCASS Darwin