It's the End of the World & They Know It

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.

Named one of “30 of the Planet’s Most Exciting Young People” by the Financial Times, Elaine Castillo’s novel Moderation was longlisted for the 2026 Women’s Prize in Fiction and named one of the Top Ten Books of 2025 by The Atlantic, Slate, and a Best Book of 2025 by The New Yorker, TIME, and more.

Fiona Wright is a writer and critic. Her debut novel is Kill Your Boomers. Her book of essays Small Acts of Disappearance won the 2016 Kibble Award and was shortlisted for the 2016 Stella Prize. Her poetry collections are Knuckled and Domestic Interior.

Jessy Wu is a writer and entrepreneur based in Sydney. She is the founder and Managing Director of Encour, a communications and video production agency that specialises in the tech sector. Previously, she was a venture capital investor in early-stage tech startups. Good Intentions is her debut novel.

Emily O’Grady is the author of The Yellow House (2018) and Feast (2023). She holds a PhD in Creative Writing from Queensland University of Technology, and in 2024 was named one of The Sydney Morning Herald Best Young Australian Novelists.