He grew up in the Mt Gravatt area of Brisbane, and as a child frequently accompanied his parents to protests.[2] He enjoyed rock music, particularly Janis Joplin and the Doobie Brothers, and aspired to be a rock musician.[3]
Watson wrote short stories, but changed focus to poetry, inspired by one of several companies that reject his drafts noting that his writing contained good poetic elements. His first poems were in sonnet form, later changing to free verse style. The themes of his poetry range from observations of everyday experience, to the effects of colonisation.[citation needed]
In the late 1990s, Watson was invited to participate in a Brisbane City Council project to raise awareness of the Boondall Wetlands, alongside fellow poets Brett Dionysius and Liz Hall-Downs. The project was set up to bring together historians, poets, photographers, environmentalists and designers and show the cultural history of the Wetlands, both the local Indigenous history and the experiences of European settlers.[4] In 2000 an audio CD was produced of the three poets' work, called Blackfellas Whitefellas Wetlands. The very different voices and focus of the poets worked together to create a sense or place and of history.[5]
His 2004 poetry collection Smoke Encrypted Whispers was set to music by 23 Brisbane-based composers, who each wrote a two-minute piece to respond to a particular poem. The project was commissioned by the clarinettist Paul Dean, who conducted a recording of the work featuring soprano Margaret Schindler and the Southern Cross Soloists, with Ron Haddrick narrating.[6][1] One of the pieces, entitled "Die dunkle erde", was devised with composers Stephen Leek and William Barton, with Barton playing didgeridoo. The piece blended German Gothic horror and Aboriginal culture, and was performed by Watson and Barton on The Music Show.[7]
Watson has worked as a writer and script developer for 98.9FM Murri Country radio station in Brisbane. He also works on various community projects, is often invited as a guest speaker, and facilitates workshops and mentors young writers and other creative artists.[1]
Festivals
Watson has appeared at numerous literary festivals, including:
In 2007 he was appointed artist-in-residence for the Utan Kayu Literary Biennale in Indonesia, which included translations of his work being presented to audiences in Jakarta and central Java.[1]