Benjamin Kooyman has a PhD in English from Flinders University, focusing on film adaptations of Shakespeare. He is an experienced editor and proofreader who has edited journal articles, Masters, and PhD dissertations across multiple disciplines. He is also a published author with articles and reviews in The Conversation, as well as books, book chapters, and academic journal articles.
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Jacqx Melilli is a playwright and author with French and Spanish heritage. Jacqx completed a Master of Arts degree in Writing and Literature from Deakin University where she studied creative writing, editing, publishing, scriptwriting and media text for children. Jacqx’s publications include When The Glitter Fades - an Australian historical fiction novel, the Lights, Camera, Action educational book series, one-act plays, Can Anybody Hear Me?; Foreigners in Oztralia; Little Red Meets the Dingo; Goldisocks and the Three Koalas; Lost Child, and Secrets That Define Us, a short story.
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Website: https://jacqx.com/

Irveen Kaur is a writer specialising in YA fantasy, literary fiction and short stories. She is the founder of Novelly - a business that runs one-on-one sessions with emerging writers to help them develop their manuscripts. Irveen has a Bachelor of Arts in Communications (Creative Writing) at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) and has experience teaching creative writing to kids aged 11-14 for the past 2 years. Her in-person creative writing workshops are currently held at UTS, Ku-ring-gai Community Centre, and Nirimba Fields.
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Website: https://novelly.com.au/

Caroline is a novelist, writer, producer and mentor. She is the author of four internationally published historical fiction novels: Maggie's Kitchen (2016), Eleanor's Secret (2018), Finding Eadie (2020) and Esther's Children (May 2022). Her debut novel was shortlisted for Booktopia's Best Historical Fiction in 2016. She has worked in documentary, film and drama and discovered that she loves to write fiction and to share lesser-known histories. Caroline studied the craft of novel writing at the Faber Academy in Sydney, with Curtis Brown Creative in London, and has a MA in Film & Television and a MA in Creative Writing.
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Website: https://carolinebeecham.com/

Rochelle Pickles is a writer and editor with a background in psychology and education. Rochelle’s writing has been published in the anthologies Soak and Our Selves by Brio Books/Night Parrot Press and she co-edited the 2023 UTS Writers’ Anthology. Rochelle holds a Graduate Certificate in Editing and Publishing and a Master of Arts in Creative Writing. She has hosted Q&A and book launch events and loves to chat books.
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I am a former festival director and the internationally bestselling author of Dirt Town. The novel has won a number of national and international awards, including an ABIA for General Fiction Book of the Year, a Lambda Literary award for LGBTQ+ Mystery and the CWA New Blood Dagger. I particularly enjoy one-on-one mentoring with emerging writers and I am also an accomplished MC. I have served as a judge for short story and novel prizes, including the New York-based Lambda Literary Awards. I hold a PhD in Creative Writing from the University of Wollongong.
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Website: http://www.hayleyscrivenor.com/

Katharine Pollock (PhD) is the author of Starry Eyed (Wakefield Press, 2025), and Her Fidelity (Penguin Random House, 2022). She writes comedic fiction about ordinary women leading complicated lives. Katharine holds a PhD in Creative Writing. As well as writing novels, she writes short pieces, speaks at events, and does occasional freelance editing.
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Website: https://www.katharinepollock.com.au/

Rod Howard is an author, ghostwriter, copywriter and freelance journalist, with a background in arts management, media, publishing and strategic communications. In his narrative biographies, Rod has a passion for illuminating under-known and arcane corners of social history. Rod's books include The Fabulist (Random House), The Man Who Invented Vegemite (Murdoch Books) and A Forger's Tale (Arcade Publications), winner of the FAW Walter Stone Award for Biography. He has written regular columns and features in arts, travel and parenting. Rod was also founding Chair of the Bellingen Readers and Writers Festival in NSW and a peer of the Australia Council.
Website: https://www.rodhowardwriter.com/

Georgina Hibberd primarily writes about sport, particular women's sport and gender. In 2021 she published Never Surrender: the inside story of the GWS Giants 2020 AFLW season, an unflinching look at the reality for women playing Australian Football at the highest level. Her pieces have appeared on ABC Sport and Siren Sport.
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Website: https://georginahibberd.wordpress.com/