It's Complicated

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

Anita adapted her novel Tiddas for the stage and it premiered at La Boite as part of the 2022 Brisbane Festival, and was featured in the Sydney Festival, 2024.

Anita is Publisher at Large for the First Nations imprint Bundyi (Simon & Schuster, Australia). She enjoys running, eating chocolate and being a creative disruptor. 

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.

Michelle Upton writes short stories and novels that examine our darkest fears and shine a light on hope and possibility. Born in Birmingham, England, Michelle emigrated to Australia in 2006 and is proud to call herself Australian. Michelle has a Bachelor (Hons) degree in Literature with Psychology, and before having children, she was a primary school teacher. Her debut novel, the much-loved Terms of Inheritance, was shortlisted for the HarperCollins Australia 2021 Banjo Prize. She lives on the Redlands Coast with her family.

Brydie Lee-Kennedy is an Australian TV writer. She has written on shows for Netflix, Apple TV and Disney. In a former life she was a cabaret performer, kid's party entertainer and sex columnist. Go Lightly is her first novel.

Kimberley Allsopp is the author of Love and Other Puzzles and co-host of Meet Cute (a podcast about rom-coms). Her writing has been featured in The Sunday Telegraph and on News.com.au and she is an occasional guest on The Bookshelf on ABC Radio National. She also works in publishing as a Senior Campaign Manager for HarperCollins Australia.