Artists Archive - Newcastle Writers Festival 2025

Jumaana Abdu

Jumaana Abdu is the author of Translations. She won a Dal Stivens Award and is a Wheeler Centre Next Chapter alumnus. During the day she is a medical doctor.

David Adés

David Adès is a poet, short story writer, and poetry podcaster. His most recent book is The Heart’s Lush Gardens.

Dael Allison

Dael Allison writes and edits poetry, fiction and essays. She has an MA in creative writing (poetry), UTS, and a PhD in creative writing (fiction), UoN.

Zohra Aly

Zohra Aly has published essays and short fiction in literary journals and anthologies. She is currently juggling writing two novels and keeping up with life.

Drew Ambrose

Drew Ambrose is a multi-award winning international correspondent, documentary maker and investigative journalist who specialises in longform reporting on Global Affairs.

Nat Amoore

Nat Amoore is the author of popular kids books including Secrets of a Schoolyard Millionaire, graphic novel/novel hybrid We Run Tomorrow and the new junior fiction series Shower Land.

Robbie Arnott

Robbie Arnott is the author of Dusk, Limberlost, The Rain Heron and Flames. He lives in Hobart with his wife and kids.

Cassandra Atherton

Cassandra Atherton is one of the leading international scholars on prose poetry and an award-winning prose poet. She is a Distinguished Professor at Deakin University.

Jane Austen Society of Australia

JASA – Hunter Branch was formed in 2011. They hold regular meetings on a wide variety of subjects pertaining to Austen’s works, letters, and the Regency period.

Emilie Zoey Baker

Emilie Zoey Baker is an award-winning Australian poet and spoken-word performer who has toured internationally. She is also host and co-producer of Better Off Said with Marieke Hardy.

Magdalena Ball

Magdalena Ball is a novelist, poet, reviewer, interviewer, vice president of Flying Island Press, and managing editor of Compulsive Reader. She is the author of two novels and seven poetry…

Jimmy Barnes

Jimmy Barnes is a Scottish-born rock singer-songwriter who grew up in Adelaide and performed as lead vocalist of Cold Chisel alongside an iconic solo career.

Emma Beckett

Dr Emma Beckett, the author of You Are More Than What You Eat, uses science, kindness and sass to empower healthier and happier eating.

Eric Beecher

Eric Beecher is an experienced journalist, editor and publisher, former editor of The Sydney Morning Herald and an owner of Private Media, publisher of Crikey and other news websites.

Ariane Beeston

Ariane Beeston is the author of Because I’m Not Myself, You See: A memoir of Motherhood, Madness and Coming Back from the Brink.

Vanessa Berry

Vanessa Berry is a writer who lives on Gadigal land. Calendar, an essay collection in 365 objects, will be published by Upswell in October 2025.

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Matt Bevan

Matt Bevan is the host and writer of the award-winning ABC News podcast If You’re Listening.

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Russell Blackford

Russell Blackford is a philosopher, author, and widely published essayist. His latest book is How We Became Post-Liberal: The Rise and Fall of Toleration.

Christabel Blackman

Christabel is a member of the iconic Blackman family. She is a writer, visual artist, photographer, linguist and Fine Art Conservator.

Lech Blaine

Lech Blaine is a writer from regional Queensland. He is the author of Australian Gospel, Car Crash, and two Quarterly Essays: Top Blokes and Bad Cop.

Ashley Kalagian Blunt

Ashley Kalagian Blunt, bestselling author of Dark Mode, was shortlisted for the 2024 Ned Kelly Awards Best Crime Fiction. Her latest thriller is Cold Truth.

James Bradley

James Bradley’s books include Wrack, The Deep Field, The Resurrectionist, Clade, Ghost Species, Deep Water: The World in the Ocean and his new novel, Landfall.

Geraldine Brooks

Geraldine Brooks is author of six novels, including the Pulitzer-Prize winning March and bestseller, Horse. Her latest, Memorial Days, is a memoir about marriage and loss.

Naima Brown

Naima Brown is the author of The Shot and Mother Tongue (Macmillan), and the co-author of How To Age Against The Machine (Hardie Grant).

Nick Bryant

Nick Bryant is a writer and broadcaster who, over a 30-year career, is regarded as one of the BBC’s finest foreign correspondents, and its foremost commentator on the US.

Larry Buttrose

Larry Buttrose is a poet, playwright, and author of fiction and nonfiction. His latest book is Everyone On Mars published in 2024.

Jennifer Victoria Byrne is an Australian journalist, television presenter and former book publisher. She hosted the monthly ABC television program The Book Club, originally titled First Tuesday Book Club.

Hilary Caldwell

Dr Hilary Caldwell, author of Slutdom: Reclaiming shame-free sexuality is an academic, sexologist, and a sex worker. She is kinky, queer, a mother and grandmother.

Deborah Callaghan

Deborah Callaghan had a thirty-five-year career in publishing; as a book publicist, publisher, and literary agent. The Little Clothes is her debut novel.

Oceane Campbell

Oceane is a passionate midwife and writer. Her latest book, Labour of Love, is a collection of birth stories, exploring issues of consent and risk.

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Jane Caro

Jane Caro AM is a Walkley award winning Australian columnist, author, novelist, feminist, public education activist and social commentator. Lyrebird is her latest book.

Chaichester

Pat Truscott (aka Chaichester) is a brooding Novocastrian songwriter/producer.

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Shankari Chandran

Shankari Chandran is the author of Unfinished Business, Safe Haven, Chai Time at Cinnamon Gardens (Miles Franklin winner, 2023), The Barrier and Song of the Sun God.

Melanie Cheng

Melanie Cheng is an award-winning writer and general practitioner from Naarm/Melbourne. She is the author of Australia Day, Room for a Stranger and The Burrow.

Gina Chick

Gina Chick is a barefoot nomad who won the inaugural season of Alone Australia. Her memoir is called We Are The Stars.

Ally Chua

Ally Chua is a Singaporean writer now based in Boston. Her poetry collection Acts of Self Consumption was published in 2023.

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Lliane Clarke

Lliane is the Artistic Director of Voices of Women, created in 2018. She is a journalist, published author, producer, director and author mentor.

Courtney Collins

Courtney Collins is an author, screenwriter and producer. Bird (Hachette) is her latest novel. The Burial (Allen & Unwin) was her widely praised debut novel.

Dan Cox

Dan Cox is a journalist and broadcaster who has worked in the local media industry for nearly 20 years. He loves a good book and loves talking about books.

William Crighton

ARIA-award winning songwriter and wordsmith William Crighton was once described by Henry Wagons like this: “Crighton looks like a bushranger and sings like a sage”.

Chain Daisy

Chain Daisy is an alternative indie-folk group based in Mulubinba (Newcastle). Josi and Poppy performed at the 2024 New Annual Festival opening, and Newcastle’s West Best Bloc Festival.

Mark Dapin

Mark Dapin is an acclaimed journalist, author, screenwriter and historian. His latest book, Lest, explores myths in Australian military history.

Emma Darragh

Emma Darragh’s debut novel-in-stories, Thanks for Having Me is published by Joan Press, Nakkiah Lui’s imprint at Allen & Unwin.

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Jackie Dent

Jackie Dent is an author and journalist. Her most recent book is The Great Dead Body Teachers.

Anna Downes

Anna Downes is the UK-born internationally bestselling author of The Safe Place, The Shadow House and Red River Road. She now lives on the NSW Central Coast with her family.

Tug Dumbly

Tug Dumbly is a poet performer who grew up in Nowra as Geoffrey Forrester, and has lived in Sydney for millennia.

Carol Duncan

Carol Duncan spent 25 years in Newcastle radio, seven as a City Councillor, and founded Lost Newcastle, a history group with 80,000 members.

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Mark Dunn

Mark Dunn’s The Convict Valley investigates the lives and interactions of convict, Aboriginal and settler communities in the Hunter Valley.

Meryl Dunton-Rose

The Fuchsia Sari, Meryl Dunton-Rose’s second novel, explores an Indian/Anglo interracial marriage commencing at the turn of the 20th century.

David Dyer

In his latest novel, This Kingdom of Dust, writer David Dyer asks: what if the Apollo 11 astronauts had become stranded on the Moon?

Karen Eastwood

Karen Eastwood is a writer, educator and NWF Story Hunter facilitator but can also be spotted working in Newcastle Library and Newcastle Museum.

Huang Fan

Huang Fan is a poet and author of fiction. Born in 1963 in rural Hubei Province, he lives in Nanjing and is known for his unflinching confrontation of contemporary issues…

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Joanna Atherfold Finn

Joanna Atherfold Finn is a Port Stephens-based author/editor and wild-caught seafood business partner. Her most recent book is Plastic Free published by NewSouth Publishing.

Joe Flood

Joe Flood is an author of novels, short stories, poetry and travel works. He is Dorothy Hewett’s eldest son.

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Chris Flynn

Chris Flynn is the bestselling author of five books, including Mammoth and Here Be Leviathans. His latest novel is Orpheus Nine.

Kate Forsyth

Dr Kate Forsyth is an award-winning author. Her most recent novel is Psykhe, a reimagining of the ancient Greek myth from a feminist perspective.

Kathryn Fry

Kathryn Fry has lived in Belmont, Lake Macquarie since 2011. Her third poetry collection To Speak of Grasses is published by Walleah Press (2025).

Lauren Fuge

Lauren Fuge won a AAAS Kavli Science Journalism Award and the UNSW Bragg Prize for Science Writing. Voyagers: Our Journey into the Anthropocene is her first book.

Zahid Gamieldien

Zahid Gamieldien is the author of All the Missing Children, a literary mystery-drama novel with creeping supernatural elements.

Stephen Gapps

Stephen Gapps third book on the Australian Frontier Wars is The Rising – War in the Colony of NSW 1838-1844, published in April 2025.

Helen Garner

Helen Garner writes novels, stories, screenplays and works of non-fiction. Her latest work is called The Season.

Nikki Gemmell

Nikki Gemmell writes novels, memoirs, essays and short stories. Her work has been translated into 22 languages. Her latest novel is Wing.

Sulari Gentill

Sulari Gentill is a multi-award-winning, bestselling author of historical crime fiction and contemporary mysteries. Her most recent novel is The Mystery Writer.

Sarah Gilbert

Sarah Gilbert is a writer, producer and oral historian whose first book is Unconventional Women: the story of the last Blessed Sacrament Sisters in Australia.

Katharine Gillett

Katharine is a practicing midwife and a Lecturer in Midwifery at the University of Newcastle.

Cassie Gilmartin

Cassie Gilmartin has 20 years experience writing and editing family history, including eight years as the publisher and editor of Inside History. She is co-author of The Family History Book.

Shaun Gilmartin

Shaun Gilmartin has specialised in history and science programming as a TV executive producer and writer for more than two decades. He is the co-author of The Family History Book.

Keri Glastonbury

Keri Glastonbury is an Associate Professor of English and Writing at The University of Newcastle and author of Newcastle Sonnets (Giramondo 2018).

Richard Glover

Richard Glover writes weekly for The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age and recently ended a 26-year stint presenting Drive on ABC Radio Sydney. His latest book is Best Wishes.

Julie Goodwin

Since becoming Australia’s first MasterChef, Central Coast mum-of-three Julie Goodwin has become a household name. In April 2024 Julie’s memoir Your Time Starts Now was released.

Alyx Gorman

Alyx Gorman is the author of All Women Want, a book about the sex straight women are missing, and Lifestyle Editor of Guardian Australia.

Georgia Grace

Georgia is a certified sex and relationship practitioner and somatic therapist, sex educator, author and co-founder of Normal, a sex toy company.

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Kate Grenville

Kate Grenville is one of Australia’s most celebrated writers, having published eighteen books including the international bestseller The Secret River. Her latest book is Unsettled.

Peter Greste

Peter Greste is a journalist and academic. His book, The Correspondent, explores his imprisonment in Egypt on terrorism charges, the ‘war on journalism’ and is now a major movie.

Eda Gunaydin

Eda Gunaydin is a Turkish-Australian essayist. Her debut essay collection, Root & Branch: Essays on Inheritance, won the 2023 Victorian Premier’s Literary Award for Non-Fiction.

Dylin Hardcastle

Dylin Hardcastle is an award-winning author, artist and screenwriter based on Gadigal Land. Their work has been translated in eight languages. A Language of Limbs is Dylin’s latest book.

Marieke Hardy

Marieke Hardy is a screenwriter, playwright, producer, and curator. Her podcast, Marieke Hardy Is Going To Die, was launched in February 2024.

Steph Harmon

Steph Harmon is culture editor of Guardian Australia. Prior to that she was founding editor of Junkee.com, and editor of Sydney music and arts magazine the Brag.

Anita Heiss

Anita Heiss (Wiradyuri Nation) is an internationally published, award-winning author of 25 books across genres. Her lastest novel is Dirrayawadha (Rise Up).

Paul Hetherington

Paul Hetherington has published 18 full-length collections of poetry, most recently Sleeplessness (Pierian Springs Press, 2023), which won the 2024 inaugural The Marion Halligan Award.

Annette Higgs

Annette Higgs is a Sydney writer whose historical novel On a Bright Hillside in Paradise won the Penguin Literary Prize.

Shawn Hoo

Shawn Hoo, a poet from Singapore, is the author of Of The Florids (Diode Editions, 2022), winner of the Eric Hoffer Medal Provocateur Award.

Helen Hopcroft

Helen Hopcroft’s book, The Nights, was shortlisted for the Woollahra Digital Literary Award. My Year as a Fairy Tale describes a year she spent dressed as Marie Antoinette.

Hasib Hourani

Hasib Hourani lives and works on unceded Wangal Country. His debut book, Rock Flight, was released in 2024.

Rebecca Huntley

Dr Rebecca Huntley is one of Australia’s foremost researchers on social trends. Her latest book is Sassafras: a memoir about love, loss and MDMA therapy.

Daryl Lim Wei Jie

Daryl Lim Wei Jie is a poet and translator from Singapore. His latest collection is Anything but Human.

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Michaela Kalowski

Michaela is an interviewer, moderator and curator for writers/ideas festivals. She’s curator of ABC RN’s Big Weekend of Books and co-presenter and co-writer of the podcast Laya’s Way Home.

Honey Kassel

Honey Kassel is an emerging writer and undergraduate student of the Creative Writing program at the University of Newcastle, working studying and living on unceded Awabakal country.

Ray Kelly

Ray Kelly is a Dhanggati/Gumbayngirr man who has been a steadfast advocate for land rights in NSW for many years, with significant contributions to the broader Aboriginal community.

David Owen Kelly

David Owen Kelly is the author of Host City (Puncher & Wattmann, 2024) a hybrid memoir/dystopian fiction set in Queer Sydney during the 1980s.

Miriam Kelly

Miriam Kelly is Head of Curatorial and Exhibitions at Newcastle Art Gallery.

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Jean Kent

Jean Kent has published seven full-length poetry collections. Her most recent book is Paris Light: A Personal ‘Plan de Paris’ (Pitt Street Poetry, 2024).

Lisa Kenway

Lisa Kenway’s debut psychological thriller, All You Took From Me, was inspired by her work as an anaesthetist and her interest in memory and consciousness.

Kris Kneen

Kris Kneen is the award-winning author of fiction, poetry and non-fiction. Their latest book is Fat Girl Dancing.

Michelle de Kretser

Michelle de Kretser was born in Sri Lanka and lives in Warrane/Sydney. Theory & Practice is her seventh novel.

Jeremy Lachlan

A beloved children’s author and former bookseller, Jeremy Lachlan was born and raised on Wiradjuri country, in Griffith, New South Wales. He now calls Sydney home.

Summer Land

Known for her wit and curiosity, Summer Land is an author and ghostwriter who helps tell stories that inspire a more connected, empathetic and creative world.

Benjamin Law

Benjamin Law is an award-winning screenwriter, columnist, journalist and playwright. Ben is author of The Family Law and Gaysia, and editor of Growing Up Queer in Australia.

Jeanine Leane

Jeanine Leane is a Wiradjuri poet, essayist and critic. Her most recent work gawimarra gathering is a work of First Nations nonfiction poetry.

Dub Leffler

Descended from the Bigambul people of South-West Queensland, Dub Leffler is Australia’s premiere indigenous illustrator of children’s literature. He has written two books for children and illustrated 30 titles.

Gideon Levy

Described by Le Monde as a “thorn in Israel’s flank”, Gideon Levy is a prominent Israeli journalist. For over twenty years he has covered the Israel–Palestine conflict.

Antony Loewenstein

Antony Loewenstein is an independent journalist, film-maker and author of the global best-seller, The Palestine Laboratory.

Amy Lovat

Amy Lovat is the author of Mistakes and Other Lovers and the current program manager of the Newcastle Writers Festival. She has a PhD in English and Writing from UON.

Micheál Lovett

Micheál Lovett is a critically acclaimed playwright and writer from Ireland. He has written for theatre and TV, as well as published a YA fantasy novel Realm of the Hare.

Hugh Mackay

Hugh Mackay AO is a social psychologist and the bestselling author of 24 books. His latest book is The Way We Are.

Emily Maguire

Emily Maguire is the author of seven novels and three non-fiction books. Her latest book is the novel, Rapture.

Anne Manne

Anne Manne’s latest book is Crimes of the Cross; The Anglican Paedophile Network of Newcastle, Its Protectors and the Man who Fought for Justice.

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David Marr

David Marr is a journalist and broadcaster now presenting Late Night Live on ABC Radio National. He recently published Killing for Country, A Family Story.

John Maynard

Emeritus Professor John Maynard is a Worimi Aboriginal man from the Port Stephens region of NSW and a Professor of Indigenous Education and Research at the University of Newcastle.

Thomas Mayo

Thomas Mayo is the award-winning author of many books, including most recently Always Was, Always Will Be, The Voice to Parliament Handbook, and Finding the Heart of The Nation.

Petronella McGovern

Petronella McGovern writes twisty page-turners about everyday characters and contemporary issues. Her books have been nominated for various awards. Her latest novel is The Last Trace.

Julie McIntyre

Dr Julie McIntyre is the award winning author of two books. She is working on a global history of Australia for Princeton University Press.

Dan McIvor

Dan McIvor is a front man and violinist, puppeteer, lifeguard, and ex front line community service worker. Once you’ve met him, you’ll never forget him.

Ben Mckelvey

Ben Mckelvey is the author of more than a dozen books, with some bearing his name on the cover, and others not. Ben is one of Australia’s most prolific ghostwriters.

Catherine McKinnon

Catherine McKinnon’s To Sing of War (2024) was released to critical acclaim. Her novel Storyland (Fourth Estate, 2017) was shortlisted for five awards, including the Miles Franklin Literary Award.

Tim McPhee

Candle Drum is the musical project headed by Newcastle-based singer-songwriter Tim McPhee.

Miles Merrill

Miles Merrill is the Creative Director – CEO of the charity Word Travels. Each year Word Travels inspires, trains, hires and empowers thousands of people from diverse communities.

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Kate Mildenhall

Kate Mildenhall is the author of Skylarking, The Mother Fault, The Hummingbird Effect, and her first picture book, To Stir With Love.

Abby Millerd

Abby Millerd is a writer, lawyer, and mother, who loves writing about odd-bods. She recently won the 2025 Faber Scholarship for Writing a YA Novel.

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Nick Milligan

Nick Milligan is a Lake Macquarie (Awabakal) based writer and film critic, and curator of the annual Newcastle Writers Festival event Words & Music.

Rosemarie Milsom

Rosemarie Milsom is a former journalist and the founding director of Newcastle Writers Festival, which is in its thirteenth year.

Nicola Moriarty

Nicola Moriarty is a bestselling Sydney author of seven novels. Her latest book, Every Last Suspect, was released in Australia and the UK in 2024.

Kylie Morris

Originally from Maitland, Kylie Morris is a prize-winning former foreign correspondent in the Middle East, South East Asia, and the US. She is a producer with Fran Kelly’s ABC RN…

Di Morrissey

Di Morrissey AM is one of Australia’s most successful and prolific authors, publishing 30 bestsellers in 33 years, including River Song (2024).

Rick Morton

Rick Morton is the author of four non-fiction books and a two-time Walkley Award winner. Mean Streak is his latest book.

Lizz Murphy

Lizz Murphy’s latest book Bitumen Psalms (Flying Islands Books) is a collection of micro poems mostly about place and nature. She lives in Binalong NSW.

Helen Musa

Helen Musa is arts editor for Canberra Citynews, convener of the Canberra Critics’ Circle and a contributor to the Australian Dictionary of Biography.

Nerds & Music

Nerds & Music write and perform wordy songs about cricket, chicken salt and quantity surveyors.

Khin Myint

Khin Myint’s searing memoir Fragile Creatures explores a family grappling with the right to die in the face of a non-terminal illness – one that challenges the mind-body divide.

Sarah Napthali

After writing several books about Buddhism, Sarah Napthali continues her seeking in My Year of Psychedelics, exploring substances like MDMA, magic mushrooms and LSD.

Aarne Neeme

Aarne Neeme was head of drama at the WA Academy of Performing Arts, resident director for the Octagon Theatre, and the first director of several Dorothy Hewett plays.

Marilla North

Marilla North is a Newcastle-based author, poet and publisher. She founded Yarnspinners Press Collective in 2017 and most recently published Remembering Dorothy.

Jane Novak

Jane Novak is a literary professional with almost 30 years in the publishing industry. The Jane Novak Literary Agency has been in business for nine years.

Pearl Nunn

Dr Pearl Nunn has a PhD in History and is also a theatre director. Her next play is Morning Sacrifice at Newcastle Theatre Company.

Nathanael O’Reilly

Nathanael O’Reilly’s thirteen poetry collections include Separation Blues: Poems 1994-2024, Dublin Wandering, Landmarks, Selected Poems of Ned Kelly, Boulevard, (Un)belonging and Preparations for Departure.

Debra Oswald

Debra Oswald is a novelist, playwright, screenwriter, and creator of the TV series Offspring. Her latest novel is One Hundred Years of Betty.

Jo Peck

Jo Peck worked in advertising for 35 years, co-running her own agency, Working Girls, before writing her memoir, Suddenly Single at Sixty. She lives in Melbourne.

Bastian Fox Phelan

Bastian is a writer of memoir and environmental essays from Mulubinba Newcastle, Australia. Their debut book is How to be Between (Giramondo).

Liam Pieper

Liam Pieper is a novelist and ghostwriter of countless celebrity memoirs that he’s not allowed to talk about. Most recently, he wrote Appreciation – a novel about ghost-writing for celebrities.

Ailsa Piper

Ailsa Piper’s newest book is the memoir, For Life. Previously she wrote a travel memoir, Sinning Across Spain, then The Attachment, co-authored with Tony Doherty.

Katharine Pollock

Katharine Pollock (PhD) is the author Her Fidelity (Penguin Random House, 2022), and Starry Eyed (Wakefield Press, 2025). She writes funny stories about ordinary people leading complicated lives.

Melody Pool

Melody Pool arrived on the Australian music scene with 2013’s The Hurting Scene, which The Australian declared Album of the Year.

The Zine Project

The Zine Project aims to distribute Zine street libraries in the local communities to promote the love for zines and to inspire people to make their own publications.

Brian Purcell

Brian Purcell is a poet/painter from Bellingen. His new books of poetry Filmworks and the anthology 100 Poets are both published by Flying Islands Press.

Andra Putnis

Andra is the author of Stories My Grandmothers Didn’t Tell Me. It charts the lives of her Latvian grandmothers and how they came to Newcastle after WW2.

Natasha Rai

Natasha Rai’s debut novel, An Onslaught of Light, was longlisted for the 2017 Richell Prize, 2018 KYD Unpublished Manuscript award, and highly commended for the Ultimo Press/Westwords 2020 Prize.

Ziggy Ramo

Ziggy Ramo is an international award-winning artist, exploring his lived experience through music, writing, acting, and composing. Human? is his latest book and album.

Jerry Ray

Jerry Ray is a multi-purpose creative passionate about doing fun stuff that brings people together and makes worlds a little bigger.

Chelsea Reed

Chelsea Reed is a Newcastle based singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. She was living in Toronto Canada for five years and recorded her debut album in Ottawa in 2017.

Bronwyn Rennex

Bronwyn Rennex is undertaking a PhD at the University of Newcastle. Her first book, Life with Birds, was released by Upswell in 2022.

Donné Restom

Donné is a storyteller, singer, and writer who never gets bored of ‘researching’ and sharing sex stories. She likes encouraging others to do the same.

Raeden Richardson

Raeden Richardson was born in Melbourne and graduated from the Iowa Writers’ Workshop. He is the author of The Degenerates.

Michael Robotham

Michael Robotham is a former investigative journalist and ghostwriter whose psychological thrillers have sold more than 8.5 million copies globally. Storm Child is his latest book.

Bronwyn Rodden

Bronwyn Rodden’s collection Stranded, published in 2024, was selected for Scarp/UW New Poets Program and QPoetry Chapbook 2024, and a finalist in the 2023 Newcastle Poetry Prize.

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Alison Rogers

Alison Rogers, PhD, is a writer, consultant, academic, and bookseller. Her latest book is titled A Toolkit for Effective Everyday Activism published with Routledge Press.

Paris Rosemont

Paris Rosemont’s debut book Banana Girl was shortlisted for the Mary Gilmore Award 2024. Barefoot Poetess is her second collection of poetry.

John Safran

John Safran is a Melbourne writer and filmmaker. His books and documentaries have been shortlisted and won awards. Squat is his fourth book.

Omar Sakr

Omar Sakr is the award-winning author of four poetry collections, most recently The Nightmare Sequence (UQP) and a novel, Son of Sin (Affirm Press).

Michael Sala

Michael Sala is a lecturer in Creative Writing at the University of Newcastle and currently working on an epic fantasy trilogy for publication beginning in 2026.

Amy Sambrooke

Amy Sambrooke was the Creative Director of Varuna the National Writers’ House from 2017 – 2023, and the Artistic Director of the Blue Mountains Writers’ Festival.

Molly Schmidt

Molly Schmidt is a writer from Albany, WA. Her debut novel, Salt River Road, won of the 2022 City of Fremantle Hungerford award.

Anne Scobie

Anna Scobie is an artist and museum educator deeply inspired by nature and the power of creativity. She connects community through art, teaching, and pollinator workshops.

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Elfy Scott

Elfy Scott is an award-winning journalist, author and presenter living and working on Gadigal land.

Hayley Scrivenor

Hayley Scrivenor is the award-winning author of international best-seller Dirt Town. Hayley lives in Wollongong and Girl Falling is her second novel.

Jock Serong

Jock Serong is the author of seven novels and the founding editor of Great Ocean Quarterly. His most recent work is Cherrywood.

Nardi Simpson

Nardi Simpson is a Yuwaalaraay storyteller and performer living in Sydney. Her debut Song of the Crocodile won the black&write! Fellowship. Her second novel is The Belburd.

Inga Simpson

Inga Simpson is an award-winning author whose writing focuses on our relationship with the natural world. Her latest novel is called The Thinning.

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Josh Stenberg

Josh Stenberg is a translator and author of fiction and verse. He teaches Chinese literature and theatre at the University of Sydney.

Gillian Swain

Gillian Swain writes poetry, runs workshops, performs and organises poetry events throughout the Hunter and beyond. My Skin its own Sky is her first full poetry collection.

Jane Tara

Jane Tara is the author of Tilda is Visible. She’s a daily meditator, a sucker for a rescue mutt and front-row cheerleader for her two sons.

Nikki Lee Taylor

Nikki Lee Taylor is an international bestselling author and was recently awarded the 2024 Sisters in Crime Scarlet Stiletto Award for Crime Fiction.

Odette Tonkin

Odette Tonkin is a freelance writer, author and journalist. She is the author of The Tiny Forest, a picture book about the power of environmental champions and community.

Virginia Trioli

Virginia Trioli is an award-winning journalist, broadcaster and author, and presenter of ‘Creative Types with Virginia Trioli’ on ABCTV and You Don’t Know Me podcast on ABC Listen.

Jessie Tu

Jessie Tu is the author of A Lonely Girl is a Dangerous Thing and The Honeyeater. She is a book critic for The Age and SMH, and a journalist at…

Vanessa Turnbull-Roberts

Vanessa Turnbull-Roberts is a proud Bundjalung Widubul-Wiabul woman. In 2024, she was appointed the inaugural Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children and Young People Commissioner for the ACT.

Cade Turner-Mann

Cade Turner-Mann is a writer, worker and student originally from Wyee and now living in Shortland on Awabakal land. Their work has appeared in Sick Leave, Overland, Jacaranda and elsewhere.

Jackson Turton

Jackson Turton is a PhD English student at the University of Newcastle, and he is currently working on his first novel.

James Turvey

James Turvey is a writer, zine maker and archivist of Australian skateboarding print material.

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Nick Wasiliev

Nick Wasiliev hosts the literary podcast ‘Date with a Debut’. His debut contemporary novel When Men Cry was published in 2020.

Dave Wells

Dave Wells is a NSW-based musician whose command of both voice and guitar captivates to the point of transcendency.

C.A. Wright

C.A. Wright is a fantasy author from Newcastle, NSW. Her debut novel Skysong, a reimagining of Hans Christian Andersen’s The Nightingale, was published in 2024.

Clare Wright

Clare Wright is an award-winning historian, author, broadcaster, podcaster and public commentator. Her latest book is Ṉäku Dhäruk The Bark Petitions, the third instalment of her Democracy Trilogy.

Misha Zelinsky

Misha Zelinsky is an expert on global authoritarianism. A Fulbright Scholar, economist, lawyer, Misha’s book The Sun Will Rise, is based on his coverage of Putin’s invasion from inside Ukraine.

Markus Zusak

Markus Zusak is the author of six novels, including The Book Thief, and a new memoir, Three Wild Dogs (and the Truth).

THE ARTISTS