Omar (bin) Musa is novelist and lyricist. He was born in New South Wales, Australia. He studied at Australian National University and the University of California, Santa Cruz. Musa’s literary work mostly focuses on the themes of migration and racism in Australia, violence, virility and loneliness. Musa’s poetry is characterized by an instillation of hip-hop. Musa finished second at the 2008 Australian Poetry Slam before winning the competition in 2009, which was held at the Sydney Opera House. He recites his texts in collaboration with various musicians and hip-hop artists such as Kate Tempest, Daniel Merriweather, Kate Miller-Heidke, Akala and Soweto Kinch.
Omar Musa has thus far published multiple volumes of poetry: »The Clocks« (2009), »Parang« (2013), »Millefiori« (2017) and »Killernova« (2021). »Parang« means »machete« in Malaysian; in the more than four years since this volume appeared, Musa has been carrying out unbiased research on the rapidly changing here and now – the world of his Malaysian origins – while also addressing the themes of migration, belonging and dreams. The title »Millefiori« is both a reference to the well-known glass paperweight and an invocation of thousands of flowers as a symbol for goodbye; the volume is a collection of love poems and forlorn rap. In an interview Omar Musa said: »It’s a book of goodbyes to remember childhood (…) so there is sadness in it but there’s hopefully beauty in it as well.« Musa’s debut novel »Here Come the Dogs« appeared in 2014. Written as a mix of poetry and prose, the story focuses on three young men in a small Australian city. The men, of various ethnic origins, are united by their passion for rap and graffiti.. Musa’s coming-of-age novel depicts the awakening of characters – three men who remain dreamers despite their anger and their propensity towards violence. His novel »Fierceland« was published in 2025 and won the Victorian Premier’s Literary Award for Fiction. It follows the children of a palm oil magnate who reunite for their father’s funeral and attempt to confront the traumas of their childhood. »Here Come The Dogs« was nominated for a number of prizes and won the People’s Choice Award at the ACT Book of the Year Awards. In his short story collection «The Vape Lord of Queanbeyan» (2023), Musa moves between reality and fiction, bringing flying cars and talking animals together in settings ranging from Borneo to Mars.
His mother is a well-known Australian cultural journalist; his father is the Malaysian poet Musa bin Masran. The author lives in Australia.
Last update: 2026