The Next Big Thing

Chris Ames is a writer from California. His work has appeared in McSweeney’s, HEAT, The Big Issue, The Saturday Paper, New Australian Fiction, and elsewhere. He is the recipient of a Hot Desk Fellowship, the Lord Mayor’s Creative Writing Award, and the Victorian Premier’s Literary Award for an Unpublished Manuscript. His debut collection of fiction, I MADE THIS JUST FOR YOU, is out now from Ultimo Press. He lives in Melbourne with his wife and children.

Hannah McElhinney is the author of Wormhole, a non-fiction exploration of alternative medicine, misinformation, medical misogyny and conspiracy therorys. She is also the author and creator of Rainbow History Class, a globally recognised book and social media channel that shares the queer and trans history we so rarely have the opportunity to learn. She wrote and directed the Webby-nominated docuseries TransAthletica, for which she won an Australian Directors’ Guild award, as well as its sequel, HOOPS. Hannah is the co-founder and chief creator of Snack Drawer, a social-first creative agency. She lives and writes on Wurundjeri land.

Helena Pantsis (she/they) is a writer and artist born and raised in Naarm, Australia, with a focus on the strange, the surreal, and the genre-bending. She is the author of poetry collection ‘CAPTCHA’ and short story collection, ‘Mother Salad’. More can be found at hlnpnts.com.

Hunter Rose is a First Nations artist, writer and poet currently studying and working on the lands of the Wurundjeri people of the Kulin Nation. Having completed a Bachelor of Arts majoring in creative writing, literature and media industries, they are now a returning student with the Moondani Toombadool Centre at Swinburne University of Technology. Their work comprises themes of greif, loss, love, longing, nature and the political/economic landscape. They are a proud descendant of Mannalargenna/Manalakina and grew up in Nipaluna/Hobart before moving to Naarm/Melbourne for their studies.

Lauren is the author of crime thriller, ‘Neighbourhood Watch’ and has a second on the way for next year. Before turning to fiction, Lauren worked as a lawyer, diplomat, actor, arts journalist, and museum communications manager (not all at once).

Zarah Yakubu (They/She) is an emerging writer and poet of Trawlwoolway/Palawa and Mwaghavul/Sura (Nigerian) heritage from the reputationally mysterious but tangibly quaint and monotonous north of lutruwita/trouwunna/Tasmania. They live and work on the Wurundjeri Country and are undertaking a Bachelor of Arts in Creative Writing at RMIT. She has been published in Mascara Literary Review, Splinter, Island and others.