Women Who've Had Enough

Anita Heiss is an internationally published, award-winning author of 25 books across genres. She is a proud member of the Wiradyuri Nation of central NSW, an Ambassador for the Indigenous Literacy Foundation and Professor of Communications at the University of Queensland. 

Her adult fiction includes Manhattan Dreaming, Paris Dreaming and Tiddas which she adapted for the stage. Her novel Barbed Wire and Cherry Blossoms was shortlisted for the QLD Literary Awards and longlisted for the Dublin International Literary Prize. Bila Yarrudhanggalangdhuray won the 2022 NSW Premier’s Literary Prize for Indigenous Writing, was shortlisted for the 2021 HNSA ARA Historical Novel (Adult Category) and longlisted for the 2022 Stella Prize.

In 2023, Anita released a children’s book Bidhi Galing (Big Rain) illustrated by Samantha Campbell, and became Publisher of her own imprint, Bundyi Publishing (Simon & Schuster).

In 2024 she released the historical novel Dirrayawadha (Rise Up).

Anita’s latest novel is Red Dust Running.

Dr Mehreen Faruqi is the Greens' senator for New South Wales. She is a civil and environmental engineer and life-long activist for social and environmental justice. In 2013, she joined the NSW Parliament, becoming the first Muslim woman to sit in an Australian parliament. In 2018, she became Australia's first Muslim senator. She has been a passionate advocate against racism and misogyny.

Since emigrating from Pakistan in 1992 Mehreen has worked in leadership positions in local government, consulting firms and as an academic in Australia and internationally. This includes her roles as Manager of Environment and Services for Mosman Council, Manager of Natural Resources and Catchments for Port Macquarie-Hastings Council, Director of the Institute of Environmental Studies (UNSW) and an Associate Professor in Business and Sustainability (AGSM, UNSW).

While in NSW parliament, she introduced the first ever bill to decriminalise abortion. Mehreen has been a leading voice in opposition to the greyhound racing industry, privatisation of public transport, and removal of laws that protect native vegetation. Since joining the federal senate in August 2018, Mehreen has been an outspoken advocate for public education, anti-racism, social housing and animal welfare.

Fiona Stager co-owns Avid Reader and Where the Wild Things Are, two award winning independent bookshops located in the heart of West End.