Temptations

Charlotte Wood is the author of seven novels and three books of non-fiction. Her latest novel Stone Yard Devotional was shortlisted for the 2024 Booker Prize and named a top-10 book of 2025 by both the New York Times and The Washington Post.

Catherine Chidgey is “one of New Zealand’s greatest living writers” (Radio NZ), shortlisted for the Dublin Literary Award and twice longlisted for the Women’s Prize. She is the only writer to have won the Acorn Prize for Fiction twice, New Zealand’s most prestigious literary prize.

Joel Deane is a novelist, poet, journalist and speechwriter. A freelance writer, he previously worked in newspapers, television, politics and internet startups in Australia and the US. Deane has published seven books, including Catch and Kill: The Politics of Power and Year of the Wasp. His most recent work, the novel Judas Boys, has been compared to Lord of the Flies.

Sita Walker is a high school English teacher, freelance writer and award-winning memoirist whose first book, The God of No Good (Ultimo Press, 2023) was met with critical acclaim. Sita has written for The Guardian and the Griffith Review. In a Common Hour (Ultimo Press, 2026) is her debut novel.