Emily Sexton is currently Head of Programming for the Wheeler Centre for Books, Writing and Ideas. She was the recipient of a prestigious Sidney Myer Creative Fellowship in 2014. Previously she was Artistic Director of Next Wave (2010-14), where her key achievements were a radical rethink of an arts festival model, and a series of landmark commissions, publications and talks featuring First Nations artists, co-curated with Tony Albert and Tahjee Moar and titled Blak Wave. In 2018 she was Artistic Director of the Ian Potter Cultural Trust’s 20th Anniversary Celebrations at the Melbourne Recital Centre (2013). She was also Creative Producer for Melbourne Fringe Festival for 2008-10. Emily has been a proud Board Member for Arena Theatre Company, Snuff Puppets and Theatre Network Victoria, and is alumni of the Australia Council’s Emerging Leaders Program (2011). She is a regular peer assessor for the Australia Council, Arts Victoria and other philanthropic trusts and foundations. Emily holds a Bachelor of Arts (Media and Communications, English) from the University of Sydney (2005). She is a regular host and facilitator for writers’ festivals and arts organisations around Australia.

Papua New Guinean writer, Rashmii Bell, edited the first-ever anthology of writing by Papua New Guinean women, My Walk to Equality. Launched in Port Moresby (PNG) and Brisbane  during the week of celebrations for International Women’s Day 2017, this volume captures the daily challenges faced and positive contributions being made by the women of PNG to improve the livelihoods of self, community and nation.  Living in Brisbane, Rashmii’s writing is regularly published via her on-line home of writing , Keith Jackson and Friends: PNG Attitude. The Australia- PNG relations specific blog has been  key in elevating Rashmii’s views in relation to socio-economic development within Papua New Guinea. Occasionally using satire, Rashmii writes essays and opinion commentary to convey her views on issues including anti-social and criminal behaviour, mental health, donor aid programs and gender equality.  Several of Rashmii’s essay’s have been published in Pukpuk Publication’s annual paperback anthologies, Crocodile Prize 2015 and Crocodile Prize 2016.

Michael Sala’s latest novel is The Restorer (2017).  His critically acclaimed debut, The Last Thread, won the 2013 NSW Premier’s Award for New Writing and was the regional winner (Pacific) of the 2013 Commonwealth Book Prize. Born in the Netherlands to a Greek father and a Dutch mother, Michael first came to Australia in the 1980s and now lives in Newcastle.

Kerrie Davies is a media academic at UNSW and the author of A Wife’s Heart (UQP 2017) . She completed a doctor of arts at University of Sydney, has worked for a journalist for Vogue, The Collective and The Weekend Australian, among other outlets. Kerrie is also co-author of The Colonial Literary Journalism Database.