Island Stories

Adam Thompson is an emerging Aboriginal (pakana) writer from Tasmania, who writes contemporary short fiction. In 2016-17, Adam received writing awards through the Tamar Valley Writers Festival and the Tasmanian Writers and Readers Festival.

Adam has been awarded a First Nations Fellowship at Varuna, The Writers House, several Arts Tasmania grants, and was one of ten recipients of The Next Chapter initiative through the Wheeler Centre. His debut collection Born Into This was shortlisted for the USQ Steele Rudd Award for a Short Story Collection and the 2021 Age Book of the Year Award.

Peter Sipeli has more than two decades of expertise in using and managing advocacy through artistic expression. He is an Arts Manager, and supporter of the Spokenword arts movement in Fiji. Peter founded 'The Poetry Shop, Fiji' six years ago and facilitates regular poetry events in Suva and poetry circle discussions with new and emerging Fijian writers.

He works as a gay activist using storytelling as advocacy. Peter founded the online arts magazine ARTtalk, Fiji that in 2017 ran 10 issues showing arts in Fiji and across the region. From 2018 to 2020, ARTtalk, Fiji is incubated at the Oceania Centre for ARTS, Culture and Pacific Studies, alongside a podcast series, an audio component to ARTtalk.

Peter is passionate about developing the literary arts in Fiji and addressing prolonged silences in the art form. A SLAM poet with a large following, he is a champion of the revival of the literary movement in Fiji, working to provide spaces for new and emerging poets and artists to enable the framing of authentic local voices. In 2016, Peter was among seven presenters who participated in the inaugural Tedx Suva in which he spoke on 'Storytelling for Advocacy'.

As a filmmaker and storyteller, Douglas has produced short and long-form documentaries, television series, feature documentaries, animation and immersive art experiences.

Douglas has been actively working in the film and television industry for over 25 years, including series producing and directing multiple series for ABC, SBS and NITV. Douglas is passionate about bringing First Nation stories to the forefront and has worked tirelessly to connect Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander practitioners to make this a reality. He established the film and video production unit Double Wire Productions in 2000, and has produced and written dramas that have screened at film festivals around the world. His award-winning feature documentary Ella, featuring Ballet Dancer Ella Havelka as the first Indigenous dancer to make the Australian Ballet Company, premiered at the Melbourne International Film Festival 2016 and has screened nationally and internationally. His VR experience A Thin Black Line featured in the 2018 Adelaide Biennial and was also showcased at AIDC 2018. Douglas’ latest feature documentary Alick and Albert is an intriguing film following the friendship of acclaimed artist Alick Tipoti and (H.S.H) Prince Albert II of Monaco. The documentary gives a profound look at the power of art to connect individuals, forge friendships and initiate change. Douglas was the Content Director for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Program at Screen Queensland between 2017 and 2021, project managing feature films and award winning television/streaming series in both factual and scripted drama, with a focus on escalating new Black talent. Douglas Watkin continues to strive bringing our Mob’s stories and voices to heard both nationally and on the world stage.