Born
in 1962 in Victoria, Emma
Lew completed an Arts degree at Melbourne University in 1986 and has
worked as a deckhand, shop assistant, proofreader, receptionist and
clerical assistant. She began writing poems in 1986. Before his early
death she was the partner of poet John
Anderson.
Her first book of
poetry, The
Wild Reply, was shortlisted for the NSW
Premier’s Prize,
was co-winner
of The Age Book of the Year and won the Dame Mary
Gilmore prize
for 1997. It was also runner-up for the Anne Elder Prize. Her
second book of poetry, Anything
the
Landlord Touches (Giramondo, 2002) won the Judith Wright
Calanthe Poetry Prize and the Victorian Premier’s
C.J. Dennis Prize for
Poetry.