‘Dirt Town started as a short story. I wrote about a group of small-town kids, describing all the different ways they’d made their way home from school on a Friday afternoon. After I’d written that, it occurred to me that there needed to be a reason for them to be talking about that day, in particular.’

‘Having a background in research helps me apply methods for gathering and assessing information necessary to ground my work and colour my stories with fascinating historical details.’

‘The theme and style of stories are varied, some are close to magic realism, some directly related to Persian folklore and some realistic experience of first-generation migrant life experience in Australia.’

‘The story is very much about friendship, and it’s been an interesting parallel that the people I’ve met while writing it have helped me understand what community truly is.’

‘By exposing all members to memoir, poetry, screenplay, historical fiction, even musicals etc, our constructive criticism allows all members to develop skills outside their comfort zones owing to the diversity of genres canvassed.’

‘I hope that my readers either feel validated and empowered by seeing themselves in my stories; or feel curious about their own assumptions and experiences, to better understand the world of my characters, and feel more connected to them.’

‘Suddenly I had the character of Finn, a character who refused to be silenced – and that was the message we wanted to bring to the screen.’

‘Lean into the emotion. By their nature, psychological thrillers (and psychological dramas, which I feel better describes my writing!) turn on internal conflict, and so it follows that gripping and plausible internal drama maximises their effectiveness.’

‘Once I had amassed enough facts, my rage fortified me. I couldn’t contain my secret anymore. My sadness and fear seeped onto the page, as well as an unbridled joy when I discovered Deaf culture.’