Eugen Bacon MA, MSc, PhD is an African-Australian author of several novels and collections. She’s a British Fantasy Award winner, a Foreword Book of the Year Silver Award winner, a twice World Fantasy Award finalist, and a finalist in the British Science Fiction Association, Aurealis, Ditmar and Australian Shadow Awards. Eugen was announced in the honour list of the 2022 Otherwise Fellowships for ‘doing exciting work in gender and speculative fiction’. Danged Black Thing by Transit Lounge Publishing made the Otherwise Award honour list as a ‘sharp collection of Afro-Surrealist work’. Eugen’s creative work has appeared worldwide.
Website: http://eugenbacon.com/

An award-winning biographer, Dr Gabriella Kelly-Davies has studied biography and history at the Australian National University (ANU) and was a visiting doctoral student at Oxford University’s Centre for Life Writing in 2023. Gabriella has studied narrative nonfiction at Sydney University and creative writing at the University of Technology (Sydney). Her biography, Breaking Through the Pain Barrier. The Extraordinary Life of Dr Michael J. Cousins formed the creative component of Gabriella’s doctorate. The theoretical component was a dissertation titled: ‘Choices, Choices, Choices: One Biographer’s Experience’. It explored many of Gabriella’s choices while crafting Breaking Through the Pain Barrier. One PhD examiner wrote: ‘Thank you for inviting me to examine this outstanding thesis. I found it an absolute page-turner.’ Another examiner remarked: ‘Gabriella ranks high on my list of biographers whose work I admire and enjoy. Her prose style is a joy to read. She writes with clarity and grace. As I read the thesis, there were many times when I paused to enjoy the eloquent prose. Her work is a model for other biographers. The project is an exemplar.’ Gabriella is the founder and host of the literary podcast, ‘Biographers in Conversation’, which includes interviews with biographers about the multiplicity of choices they make while crafting life stories. The podcast’s first 87 episodes attracted from listeners from 100 countries.

Websites: https://www.shareyourlifestory.com.au/ and https://www.biographersinconversation.com/

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Jodi is an author of feel-good women's fiction and has published both independently and traditionally. Her second novel The Five Year Plan was short listed in Booktopia's FAB awards in 2021. Jodi is also a writing mentor, and host of the bite-sized writing podcast, Ask The Author. A vocal supporter of women authors, particularly those writing genre fiction, Jodi is particularly passionate about growing the standard and accessibility of independent publishing in Australia. Jodi's latest novel, Reinventing Emily Brown was published in September 2023. 
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Website: http://www.jfgibson.com.au/

Bettina Deda is a content writer with a background in public relations and business management, specialising in architecture, design, construction, and wellness. She is the author of Downsize with Style (self-published in 2014) and Dare to Dance - a midlife memoir, commercially published in 2022. The first chapter of her memoir was also published in The Turning Point (2021) after being successful in a writing competition. She edited the business book Construction Scrum. Bettina offers writing coaching, ghostwriting and editing and helps authors get their business books published through the collaborative initiative WriteTellSell.
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Website: https://bettinadeda.com/

Melissa is a writer, editor, proofreader and English teacher. She has Master of Arts in Creative Writing from Deakin University, a Bachelor of Education (Primary and Early Childhood), and post graduate degrees in editing, publishing and psychological science. Melissa has an unwavering passion for the written word and a profound love of storytelling.
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Jonathan Cant is a Sydney-based writer, poet, educator, and musician. His work has been shortlisted in the 2025 Gwen Harwood Poetry Prize; won the 2023 Banjo Paterson Writing Awards for Contemporary Poetry; and was longlisted in the 2023 Fish Poetry Prize. His poems have appeared in Cordite, Island, Verandah, fourW, and Live Encounters. His debut collection Finding Pan is available at 5islandspress.com For over 20 years, Jonathan has also worked as a copywriter in the advertising and not-for-profit sectors; and is available for work on a freelance/project basis.
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Alice is a former lawyer and an experienced professional writer and editor who specialises in the legal publication area. As a fast and accurate writer, over the past 10 years, she has also written copy for sales and marketing teams. She has a deep interest and understanding of women’s issues in getting older and wrote Every Woman’s Guide to Retirement to meet the need for a comprehensive and practical guide to managing post-retirement challenges. Consequently, Alice has given many talks to community groups about retirement and elder law. In her spare time, Alice writes short stories which occasionally get published. 
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Website: https://www.manteladvisory.com.au/

Keith is a speculative fiction writer, editor and publisher. His short fiction has appeared in Andromeda Spaceways Inflight Magazine, Aurealis Magazine, Oceans of the Mind and Agog! Fantastic Fiction. His novels include Horizon, an SF thriller, and The Lenticular Series space opera trilogy. He was editor of Aurealis Magazine from 2001 to 2004 and publisher with Australian independent press Coeur de Lion Publishing from 2006 onwards. He also hosted the Terra Incognita Speculative Fiction (TISF) Podcast and edited and produced Dimension6 speculative fiction electronic magazine. His book reviews have appeared in Aurealis Magazine and the Newtown Review of Books.
Website: https://www.keithstevenson.com/

Hayley Lawrence is a critically-acclaimed author and lawyer living on the Mid-North Coast of New South Wales with her husband and five half-wild daughters. Haunted by her experiences as a lawyer and mother, Hayley’s young adult novels explore complex themes in accessible ways. Hayley’s debut novel, Inside the Tiger, shortlisted for the Vogel Literary Prize, was published in 2018. Subsequent critically acclaimed novels include Ruby Tuesday, Skin Deep and Children's Book Council of Australia Honour Book (2023) The Other Side of Tomorrow. What They Told Me, published in 2024, will be Hayley’s fifth novel. 
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