Alexis Wright on Praiseworthy (streamed in appearance)

Alexis Wright is a member of the Waanyi nation of the southern highlands of the Gulf of Carpentaria. The author of the prize-winning novels Carpentaria and The Swan Book, Wright has published three works of non-fiction: Take Power, an oral history of the Central Land Council; Grog War, a study of alcohol abuse in the Northern Territory; and Tracker, an award-winning collective memoir of Aboriginal leader, Tracker Tilmouth. Her books have been published widely overseas, including in China, the US, the UK, Italy, France and Poland. She held the position of Boisbouvier Chair in Australian Literature at the University of Melbourne between 2017–2022. Wright is the only author to win both the Miles Franklin Award (in 2007 for Carpentaria) and the Stella Prize (in 2018 for Tracker). Her third novel, Praiseworthy, was published by Giramondo in April 2023.

Cheryl Leavy is an award-winning writer of non-fiction, poetry, and children's literature. Her children’s book, Yanga – Mother, published by UQP in 2024, was recently shortlisted for an Australian Book Industry Award. Cheryl has also been awarded the Oodgeroo Noonuccal Prize for Indigenous Poetry, a Varuna Residency, a Queensland Writers Fellowship and a Queensland Museum Fellowship. Her poetry has been published by Cordite, Griffith Review and UQP, and has been commissioned by art museums here and internationally. Cheryl has served on many boards including the Queensland Art Gallery, Brisbane Writers Festival and the Institute of Modern Art. Cheryl is passionate about using the power of language and culture to advance human rights, with a focus on climate and land justice.