Kate Emery 

Kate Emery has been writing stories since she was a teenager, including a terrible 200 page fantasy novel she wrote on the family computer which her dad managed to delete forever. Nearly three decades later and she’s finally forgiven him! Kate's latest novel, My Family and Other Suspects, was shortlisted for the 2025 Indie Book Award and will be released in the US later this year.

Mark Greenwood

Mark Greenwood is a history hunter. He enjoys searching for treasure, delving into baffling mysteries and investigating famous cold cases. Most of all, he loves sharing the stories that he finds. Mark's engaging presentations offer a unique insight into imaginative storytelling and the creative process. This year Mark will celebrate the release of two new picture books and the next two books in his ‘History Hunter’ series.

Ash Harrier

Ash Harrier is a Boorloo-based author of YA and middle grade fiction, including the 'Alice England Mysteries' for middle grade readers, and the 'Circle of Seven' young adult series. She loves puzzles, weird facts and nature. Ash is an Ambassador for Books in Homes Australia, which helps children build their home libraries. She also writes adult fiction as Sasha Wasley.

Joel McKerrow

Joel McKerrow is an award-winning writer, keynote speaker, children's author and one of Australia's most successful performance poets. A Creativity Specialist, Joel has twelve books/albums of poetry, his new teen 'Heist,' series with Penguin Random House and a graphic novel series, 'Urban Legend Hunters,' with Larrikin House.

Meg McKinlay

Meg McKinlay is a children’s writer and poet whose work ranges from picture books through to young adult fiction. Raised in a TV-free household in regional Victoria, Meg was a bookish kid, fascinated by words and excited by dictionaries. Now a bookish adult, she lives near the ocean in Fremantle, where she is always busy cooking up new sentences, hoping they will eventually turn into stories. 

Shivaun Plozza

Shivaun Plozza is an award-winning author of books for children and young adults. She has written books inspired by a curious medley of topics, such as organ donation, moon trees, shipwrecks, aliens, the afterlife and magical wolves. Her books have been awarded many accolades and are sold all over the world. Shivaun lives in Geelong with her cat, Fenchurch.   

Justin Somper

Previously a landlocked Londoner, Justin relocated to Perth in 2022. Justin is the award-winning author of 11 books for middle-grade and young teen readers. His 'Vampirates' series has been published in 35 countries and 25 languages. Justin’s new linked series 'Pirate Academy' launches in Australia in 2025. Both series are currently being developed for TV. 

Alexander Thorpe

Alexander Thorpe is pretty bad at crime (he’s never managed to commit a good one) but not too bad at crime writing! He is the author of historical murder mysteries Death Leaves the Station and Death Holds the Key, both published by Fremantle Press, and his first non-fiction story appeared in the Night Parrot Press anthology Ourselves. Born in WA on Whadjuk Noongar country, he has also lived and worked in Mexico, China and the republic of Georgia.