Spies Like Us

Christine Wells is an internationally bestselling author of fifteen published books. Her recent historical novel, Sisters of the Resistance, featuring Catherine Dior, was published by HarperCollins New York, and received mentions in American Vogue, The Wall Street Journal and The Times. Her most recent release, One Woman’s War, is about the real woman who inspired the character of Miss Moneypenny in Ian Fleming’s James Bond novels. Christine writes about strong, clever women from the past, and as a former lawyer, she often features legal themes in her books. Christine lives in Brisbane and loves sharing her knowledge of the writing craft and the publishing business with other writers through workshops and private mentorships.

Brett Mason is Chair of the Council of the National Library of Australia and Adjunct Professor in the School of Justice at QUT. He was formerly a Senator for Queensland , serving in the Ministry, before being appointed Australia's Ambassador to the Hague and Permanent Representative to the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons. He is currently completing Saving Lieutenant Kennedy: JFK, Reg Evans and the birth of Australian-American Friendship.

Melanie is a writer, editor, playwright and researcher. She has a PhD in Creative Writing and teaches at the University of Queensland. In 2018, she won the Queensland Literary Awards Glendower Award for Emerging Writer. Her debut novel Meet Me at Lennon’s (UQP) was shortlisted for the 2020 QLA Premier’s Award for a Work of State Significance and People’s Choice Award. Her writing has been published in Kill Your Darlings, Griffith Review, Arena Magazine, Overland, Hecate, TEXT and other publications. She is a winner of the 2022 Griffith Review Emerging Voices competition.