Everyone Loves a Rom-com

Will Kostakis is an award-winning author for young adults. He's been at it fifteen years, but his mum insists it’s just a phase and any day now, he’ll pursue a real career. Best known for his novels The First Third and The Sidekicks, Will returns with We Could Be Something, a humorous yet heart-rending look at family, fame and falling in love. 

Claire Christian tells stories: she is a writer, theatre maker and facilitator. Her first novel, Beautiful Mess won the Text Prize in 2016 and was released in 2017. Her second novel, It’s Been a Pleasure, Noni Blake was released in 2020. Both have been published internationally. She has had the great joy of directing Michelle Law’s smash hit comedy Single Asian Female since 2017. She is a proud member of the Mama’s Boys theatre collective whose hip-hop theatrical explosion Brothers Book Club premiered in 2022. Her Plays Lysa and the Freeborn Dames, Talking to Brick Walls, Hedonism’s Second Album and The Landmine is Me are available through Playlab Inc. Her second novel, It’s Been a Pleasure, Noni Blake was released in 2020. Both her novels have been published internationally. Claire’s last novel West Side Honey was released in April 2023.

Jodi is both an author and scholar of romance fiction. As an author, she's written romance novels for adults and young adults: most recently, the Marry Me, Juliet series (Simon & Schuster) and Libby Lawrence is Good at Pretending (Wakefield). As an academic, she has published two monographs and numerous articles and book chapters, and works as a Senior Lecturer in Writing, Literature and Culture at Deakin University in Melbourne.

I love my job as a teacher librarian where I spend a lot of time encouraging young people to find books that engage and connect them with their identity, their culture and their passion. This brings me much joy and purpose. It also gives me the excuse to read many many YA novels. When not working, I am actively involved in the CBCA (Qld Branch), volunteering in a variety of roles for almost 20 years. Basically I am surrounded by books. I am very lucky.