Originally an actress, debut novelist D.M. Cameron is an AWGIE nominated radio dramatist, award-winning playwright and celebrated short film writer. She received funding to begin work on her first novel and was then selected for a Varuna Litlink residency to further develop this initial draft into what became Beneath the Mother Tree.

www.dmcameron.com

Kaye Baillie began writing stories and making books during the long, hot summer holidays on the orchard where she grew up in Victoria. With her sister, she sat at the kitchen table coming up with ideas and adding her own (not very good) illustrations. Now she writes stories at her kitchen table near the beach, where she lives with her family and their high-maintenance pets. Kaye has a strong interest in researching and writing stories about unique individuals and events.

Kaye’s picture book Message in a Sock with Narelda Joy was published in May 2018.

Narelda Joy grew up in a creative household with an inspired mum and a large sewing room, which contained a plethora of goodies with which she could use to create. She continues to create anything in two or three dimensions including puppets, models, creatures and illustrations. She considers herself fortunate to be able to create imaginary worlds anytime she wants to.

Narelda Joy lives surrounded by beautiful flora and fauna in the Blue Mountains, Australia. She has two dogs and a cat, as well as lots of native birds who visit her garden daily.

Narelda’s picture book Message in a Sock with Kaye Baillie was published in May 2018.

Timothy has illustrated a number of children’s books, among them: Max Fatchen’s A Country Christmas and Fiona McIntosh’s Fantastica: Shapeshifter series. He is also known for his court sketching work for the Adelaide TV news networks.

MidnightSun published his children’s book King of the Outback in May 2017.

Jennifer Harrison lives in Adelaide with her son Nathaniel. Since leaving university she has worked as a graphic designer, commercial artist and art director. Her illustrations have been commissioned for book covers, magazines and packaging for overseas and local markets and she has exhibited in Adelaide galleries.

MidnightSun published her children’s book Olivia’s Voice in March 2017.

Mike Lucas is the author of several collections of humorous poetry for children and has had work published in anthologies and literary magazines. Originally from the UK, he now lives in Adelaide, where he works as an engineer and runs an independent book store with his wife, Becky. He has a passion for encouraging children to use imagination and creativity to produce original stories and poetry.

MidnightSun published his children’s book Olivia’s Voice in March 2017.

Allayne Webster is Adelaide based Children’s and Young Adult Fiction author who grew up in rural South Australia. Her middle grade title Paper Planes was a 2016 Children’s Book Council Notable Book and shortlisted for the 2016 Children’s Awards for Literature. Allayne is the author of two Young Adult novels (plus a third with Penguin Random House – due for release Feb 2018) and the author of two Junior Fiction novels with Omnibus Scholastic. Allayne is also the proud recipient of three South Australian Arts Grants. She travelled to Paris in 2010, and suitably inspired, she wrote A Cardboard Palace.

Lucy Durneen lectures in English and Creative Writing in Plymouth, England, and is Assistant Editor of the literary journal Short Fiction. Her short stories, poetry and non-fiction have appeared in World Literature Today, The Manchester Review, The Letters Page, The Lightship Anthology and Litro, amongst other places.

She has been shortlisted four times for the Bridport Prize, Highly Commended in the 2014 Manchester Fiction Prize, and nominated for a Pushcart Prize and won the 2017 Saboteur Award.

Lucy’s short story collection Wild Gestures was published by MidnightSun in January 2017.

Paul Mitchell’s wry and moving considerations of society’s undercurrents chronicle an unsettlingly recognisable Australia. His three poetry collections have received national prizes and wide acclaim, and his short story collection Dodging the Bull was included in the 2008 The Age Summer Read program. He is also a playwright, screenwriter and essayist.

Mitchell’s varied oeuvre explores the beauty in the seemingly mundane, the troubled history of Australian masculinity, and finds spirituality in the murky depths of life. He has continued this exploration with his sensitive and rugged first novel, We. Are. Family.

Z.F. Kingbolt has had a varied career including lawyer, scientist, engineer, journalist, biologist and teacher, so it took a while to discover that writing books was the best thing ever. A slitherphobe, Kingbolt hates snakes and burnt toast, but loves gaming, technology, geology and Continue reading Z F Kingbolt →

Cameron Raynes is a prize-winning author who has chosen in First Person Shooter to explore the deeply personal experience of adolescent stuttering. Having survived bruising encounters with three psychopaths by the age of 30, Raynes turned away from welfare work and anthropology to find his voice as a writer. He teaches history at the University of South Australia and is the author of The Last Protector and the short story collection The Colour of Kerosene.

Author Jane Jolly has had three Notable picture books in the Children’s Book Council Australia Book of the Year awards. Jane strongly believes in the fight to rid the world of landmines and cluster munitions. On the road to getting One Step at a Time published she has met with the Safe Ground group in Adelaide and a representative from Medical Association for the Prevention of War.

After being a classroom teacher for 35 years, Jane now works part-time in the Resource Centre at Eastern Fleurieu School teaching creative writing and immersing classes in literature.

Jane Jolly and Sally Heinrich‘s beautiful picture book One Step at a Time was published in February 2015, and was chosen as an Honour Book in the 2016 Children’s Book Council of Australia (CBCA) Awards.

Jane and Sally’s second collaboration, Papa Sky, was published by MidnightSun in October 2017.

Sally Heinrich is a writer, illustrator and artist who has illustrated more than thirty books. She has been recognised through fellowships from the Asialink Foundation, the May Gibbs Children’s Literature Trust, Varuna – the Writers’ Centre, Arts SA and the Ian Reed Foundation, and her original artwork and linoprints have been exhibited in Australia and Asia including in the Waterhouse Natural History Art Prize. Sally believes that picture books are a powerful tool to communicate ideas and build bridges of understanding between people from different cultures and Continue reading Sally Heinrich →

Lynette Washington is a short story writer, editor and teacher of creative and professional writing. She holds a PhD in Creative Writing from the University of Adelaide.

Her stories have been published widely and in 2014 she edited the story collection, Breaking Beauty. In 2017 she Continue reading Lynette Washington →

Amanda Hickie has always been interested in science, literature and ethical questions, annoying her scripture teacher at the age of ten by asking if it was immoral to lie to a murderer. Despite a passion for writing, she studied Computer Science — but she quickly recovered.

A change of lifestyle when she and her family moved to Canada resulted in her first novel, After Zoe. Living down the road from the SARS outbreak also provided the seed for An Ordinary Epidemic.

Amanda lives a pleasant stroll from Continue reading Amanda Hickie →