Unaccustomed as I am...

Sam Pang is a writer, presenter and broadcaster. His television credits include the hugely popular Santo, Sam and Ed’s Cup Fever and SBS’s coverage of The Eurovision Song Contest.

2012 sees Sam co-hosting Santo, Sam and Ed’s Sports Fever on Channel 7 and will also be seen in Agony Uncles on ABC1.

Previously, he hosted the history based comedy quiz show, ADbc, and for the past 3 years he has been the co-host of SBS’s coverage of The Eurovision Song Contest. In 2011 he was a creative consultant and writer for the The Marngrook Footy Show on ABC2.

Sam’s work in radio has seen him work for a variety of stations including Triple R, 3AW, ABC and Radio National.

In 2010 he was named in The Age Magazine as one of Melbourne’s Top 100 most influential, inspirational and creative people for the year.

Julian Burnside is a Melbourne barrister. He joined the Bar in 1976 and took silk in 1989. He specialises in commercial litigation, and has acted in many very contentious cases - the MUA Waterfront dispute; the Cash-for-Comment enquiry; cases for Alan Bond and Rose Porteous - but has become known for his human rights work and has acted pro bono in many refugee cases. 

He is an outspoken opponent of the mistreatment of people who come to Australia seeking protection from persecution. His latest book is Watching Out: Reflections on Justice and Injustice (Scribe).

Sonya Hartnett is the award-winning, internationally-acclaimed author of several novels for adults and younger readers.

Sonya authored Thursday’s Child, winner of the 2002 Guardian Children’s Fiction Prize, and Forest, winner of the 2002 Children’s Book Council of Australia Book of the Year: Older Readers. In 2000 and again in 2003, she was named one of The Sydney Morning Herald Young Novelists of the Year. Her work has been published internationally with editions available in the UK, US, Canada, Germany, Italy, Norway and Denmark.

In 2003, her adult novel, Of a Boy, won The Age Book of the Year and was shortlisted for the Miles Franklin Award. In 2004, The Silver Donkey was published to great critical acclaim. It has won the 2005 Brisbane Courier Mail award for young readers and was CBC Book of the Year (Young readers) in 2005.

Surrender was published in 2005. It was shortlisted for The Age Book of the Year Award and the Aurealis Award - Fantasy Division in 2005.

In 2008 Sonya was the recipient of The Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award. The prize is awarded to authors, illustrators, narrators and/or promoters of reading whose work reflects the spirit of Astrid Lindgren. It was the first time this award was given to an Australian.

Lisa Gorton’s first collection, Press Release, was shortlisted for the Mary Gilmore Award and the Melbourne Prize Best Writing Award, and won the Victorian Premier’s Prize for Poetry.

She completed a doctorate on John Donne’s poetry and prose. She has also written a novel for children, Cloudland.

Gorton lives in Melbourne.

Sophie Black is a writer, journalist and Crikey’s editor-in-chief. She has worked in senior management across cultural and media organisations, and has written for outlets such as The Guardian and The Monthly. As the Wheeler ...

Actor, presenter and broadcaster Noni Hazlehurst AM studied drama at Flinders University in South Australia, and after graduating gained roles in television shows Division 4, Homicide, Matlock Police and The Sullivans. From ...