writer | academic | musician
Leanne Betasamosake Simpson is a renowned Michi Saagiig Nishnaabeg musician, writer and academic, who has been widely recognized as one of the most compelling Indigenous voices of her generation. Her work breaks open the boundaries between story and song—bringing audiences into a rich and layered world of sound, light, and sovereign creativity.
Working for two decades as an independent scholar using Nishnaabeg intellectual practices, Leanne has lectured and taught extensively at universities across Canada, the United States, Australia, New Zealand and Europe and has over twenty years experience with Indigenous land based education. She holds a PhD from the University of Manitoba and is a member of Alderville First Nation.
Leanne is the author of eight books, including A Short History of the Blockade and the novel Noopiming: The Cure for White Ladies which was short listed for the Governor General’s Literary Award for fiction and the Dublin Literary Prize. Her collaboration with Robyn Maynard, Rehearsals for Living is a National Best Seller and was short listed for the Governor General’s Literary Award for non-fiction. Leanne is also a musician. Her latest release Theory of Ice was named to the Polaris Prize short list, and she is the 2021 winner of the Prism Prize’s Willie Dunn Award. Leanne’s new work, Theory of Water is forthcoming April 22, 2025 from Alchemy at Knopf Canada and Haymarket Books in the US.
Her last record, Theory Of Ice was released by You’ve Changed Records in the winter of 2021, and features the artistic brilliance of Ansley Simpson, Nick Ferrio, Jim Bryson, John K. Samson, Jonas Bonnetta, and Nydia Myre. Theory of Ice was on the 2021 Polaris Prize short-list, was nominated for the Pop-Alternative-Rock Album of the Year at the Summer Solstice Indigenous Music Awards, scored an 8/10 in a review by Pitchfork, and 10/10 by Exclaim! Leanne is the 2021 recipient of the Prism Prize’s Willie Dunn Award, awarded to a Canadian trailblazer who has demonstrated excellence and innovation within the film and music video production community. Theory of Ice has five short films based on tracks directed by filmmakers Amanda Strong, asinnajaq, Caroline Monnet, Sandra Brester and “I Pity the Country”, directed by Lisa Jackson and Connor McNally.
Leanne’s current projects include the nonfiction work Theory of Water, forthcoming in April 2025 from Knopf Canada, and The Breathing Lands, forthcoming 2026 from Knopf Canada. Her new record will be released in the fall of 2025 by You’ve Changed Records.