WRITE NOW Festival

Gary Lonesborough is a Yuin writer, who grew up on the Far South Coast of NSW as part of a large and proud Aboriginal family. His young adult novels, The Boy from Mish and We Didn’t Think It Through, have been shortlisted for numerous awards, including the NSW Premier's Literary Awards and the Prime Minister's Literary Awards. His third novel for young adults, I’m Not Really Here, was published in September 2024.

Lili Wilkinson is the award-winning author of twenty books for young people, including A Hunger of Thorns, which won the Victorian Premier’s Literary Award, and was a CBCA Honour Book in 2024. Lili has a PhD from the University of Melbourne, and is a passionate advocate for YA and the young people who read it. Her latest books are Unhallowed Halls and Bravepaw 1: The Heartstone of Alluria.

Michael Bollen is publisher and managing director at Adelaide-based Wakefield Press, an independent small publishing house that releases around 40 books each year across a range of fields, including Young Adult fiction. Michael has led Wakefield Press for 35 years. He works across all areas, from commissioning and acquiring works to sales and marketing.

Maddy Sexton is an editor and Head of YA at South Australia’s Wakefield Press, where she chooses fantastic stories for young people and turns them into beautiful books. She has sat on judging panels for a number of literary awards and competitions, and manages the monthly Wakefield Weekly Writing Competition.

Troy Hunter is an adult and YA crime fiction writer whose short stories have appeared in a variety of publications and journals. Troy has a Bachelor of Business/Marketing (La Trobe University) and a Diploma of Professional Writing & Editing (RMIT). He has held senior marketing and communications roles in the private, public, and not-for-profit sectors. He currently works as a research marketing and communications consultant at the University of Melbourne. Gus and the Missing Boy is his first novel, with a sequel due out in 2025. Gus has been shortlisted for the Ned Kelly Awards’ Best Debut Crime Fiction 2024.

Finegan has had 105 plays performed on six continents, translated into eight languages and studied at many international universities. His work has received 42 awards, including eight Australian Writers Guild Awards, the David Williamson Prize for Excellence in Australian Playwrighting, and an inaugural Sidney Myer Fellowship. He has spoken at conferences in ten countries, with papers and plays published. This year his first novel, The End and Everything Before It, is published by Text Publishing.

Aimee is a writer, editor and screen critic published by The Guardian, Sydney Morning Herald, Literary Hub, Kill Your Darlings, Letterboxd's Journal and more. She's a former staff writer for The Big Issue, where she's also held the film and small screens editor roles. An alumna of the Tin House Workshop and Berlinale Talent Press, she’s mentored young writers at Melbourne International Film Festival's Critics Campus and Melbourne Women in Film Festival's Critics Lab. With the support of Arts South Australia, Aimee is currently writing her first book.

Jessica is an Adelaide-based illustrator and zine-maker working under the name Ban-She. Their work explores feminist and political ideas in an accessible and light-hearted way through their zines, prints, and other artistic creations.

Georgina Chadderton (she/they) is a comics creator based on Kaurna Yerta (Adelaide). Working under the art name George Rex Comics, her work is mainly autobiographical (although she dabbles in fantasy and mystery genres too). Her debut graphic novel, Oh Brother, is due to be published by Penguin Random House in 2025. Georgina is passionate about sharing her love of storytelling through comics with everyone and facilitates many comics and drawing workshops, as well as co-directing Papercuts Comics Festival. When not making comics, Georgina plays roller derby, eats crunchy snacks, watches cartoons and loves other people’s dogs.

Sarah Larsen is the producer of "Behind the News" (BTN), a children's news program produced by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. She has more than two decades of experience in journalism as a reporter, presenter and producer.