Julie Koh was born in Sydney to Chinese-Malaysian parents. She studied politics and law at the University of Sydney, then quit a career in corporate law to pursue writing. She is the author of two short-story collections: Capital Misfits and Portable Curiosities. The latter was shortlisted for the Readings Prize for New Australian Fiction, the Steele Rudd Award in […]

Charlotte Wood is the author of five novels and two books of non-fiction. The Natural Way of Things won the 2016 Stella Prize and Indie Book of the Year, and was joint winner of the Prime Minister’s Literary Award for Fiction.

Bianca Whiteley started her career in publishing at Murdoch Books in 1999, and spent seven years in various roles including Inventory Management. She joined Nielsen Book in 2006 where her latest role is Account Director. For the past 12 years she has helped publishers and retailers make the most of the data and is currently […]

Juliet Rogers is the CEO of the Australian Society of Authors (ASA). She has had a long career in publishing, including Managing Director of Random House (NZ and Australia) and CEO of Murdoch Books. Before joining the ASA, she ran her own small publishing and consultancy business, The Wild Colonial Company. She has chaired Booksellers […]

Alex Adsett is a literary agent and publishing consultant. As a consultant, Alex offers strategic and commercial contract advice to authors and publishers, helping them negotiate the sometimes fraught landscape of publishing agreements. As a literary agent, she represents exceptional manuscripts for all ages, with a focus on science fiction, fantasy, romance, and crime. She […]

Dr Per Henningsgaard is a lecturer in professional writing and publishing at Curtin University. Prior to arriving in Perth, he was the director of the master’s degree in book publishing at Portland State University in Portland, Oregon. His publications include ‘Kim Scott’s Publishing History in Three Contexts: Australian Aboriginal, National, and International’ in A Companion […]

Founding publisher of Simon & Schuster Australia, Kirsty Melville moved to the US in 1994 as Vice-President and Publisher for Ten Speed Press in Berkeley, California, and led in its transformation from a niche publishing company into an internationally recognized, award-winning publisher. She departed Ten Speed to work as Publisher for San Francisco’s University Games, […]

Anne Beilby is the Rights Manager at Text Publishing. She handles and negotiates contracts relating to both acquisitions and international licensing, audio and film contracts for the Text list. She has been presenting at international book fairs for more than 10 years.

Rosanna Arciuli has worked in the publishing industry for over 30 years, starting off as a Sydney bookseller, moving to Penguin Books as a sales representative before working for an independent publisher in London. On her return from London, she worked with the merchandising divisions of ABC Enterprises and SOCOG. Rosanna then relocated back to […]

Annabel Smith is the author of The Ark, US bestseller Whisky Charlie Foxtrot, and A New Map of the Universe, which was shortlisted for the WA Premier’s Book Awards. She was one of five inaugural recipients of an Australia Council Creative Australia Fellowship for Emerging Artists, for her interactive digital novel/app The Ark. She holds […]

Michael Gordon-Smith is the CEO of the Australian Publishers Association. He has worked for more than 20 years in Australian media and communications industries, including as a director, a government regulator and the CEO of industry associations. Michael has led projects or policies from media ownership to mobile telephones, from copyright to digital television. He […]

Fiona is the co-owner of Brisbane’s award-winning bookshops, Avid Reader and Where the Wild Things Are. She has been a judge for the Vogel Award, the Stella Award and the Queensland Literary Awards. Fiona has been presented with the Johnno Award for services to the Queensland writing community and in 2014 the Australian Booksellers Association […]

Walter Mason is the author of Destination Saigon and Destination Cambodia. An active member of several literary societies, he is a past president of the NSW Dickens Society. Walter is also a popular teacher of writing, mindfulness and creativity. As well as leading tours to Vietnam, Walter teaches Buddhist, Vietnamese and Cambodian history. He is […]

Wenona Byrne is the Head of Practice, Literature, at the Australia Council for the Arts. In this role she is responsible for overseeing the core grants program and other strategic initiatives that support the literary sector. Before joining the Council Wenona worked in publishing for 11 years, 9 years as Rights Manager with independent publisher […]

Jennifer Wong is a comedian, writer, and former bookseller known for her bookishness and love of wordplay. She’s performed at arts and comedy festivals around the world, and her interviews with writers and artists can be heard on ABC RN’s Books & Arts and seen on ABC iview’s Bookish.