Little town celebrates 'incredibly explosive' talent's nationally acclaimed novel
The author, poet and visual artist says his childhood was a dichotomy of Queanbeyan's suburban streets and Canberra's privileged arts scene.
Omar Musa, a Malaysian-Australian writer from Queanbeyan, has received national acclaim for his novel Fierceland, which earned him the 2026 Miles Franklin Literary Award. The novel follows the lives of two siblings who attend their father's funeral in Malaysian Borneo, where they discover that their father was a corrupt logging and oil palm baron.
Musa, who was inspired by the dark and complex world of logging and oil palm in his homeland, spent 21 drafts over five years crafting the novel. Musa's mother, Helen Musa, was a magazine editor and arts journalist who played a significant role in nurturing his storytelling abilities. Growing up in Queanbeyan, Musa experienced a unique blend of suburban life and access to the privileged arts scene in Canberra.
The Canberra-Queanbeyan arts scene has been a significant influence on Musa's work, and art director at the Queanbeyan Performing Arts Centre Jordan Best expressed her excitement about Musa's achievements. Musa's latest novel, The Vape Lord of Queanbeyan, has been a bestseller at Collins Booksellers in Queanbeyan.
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