Hot Desk Edition (November)

Bjork once said 'you shouldn’t let poets lie to you', but Fury writes poetry, which is a sort of lie, albeit the fun-for-everyone kind. Fury has written a book called I Don’t Understand How Emotions Work. It is a very good book; soft and tricky, like leaning your face against your favourite swan.

Hiroki is the Wheeler Centre's Special Projects Coordinator.

He has previously worked in a variety of roles for organisations including the Melbourne Writers Festival, Emerging Writers’ Festival, Melbourne International Film Festival and Malthouse Theatre. 

As a writer Hiroki has presented work as part of National Young Writers' Festival, MTC Cybec Electric and PWA’s Lotus Playwrighting project and is an alumni of FCAC Emerging Cultural Leaders program and Malthouse Theatre Besen Writers group.

Lou Smith is a poet, researcher and editor. 

Her writing has been published in a variety of journals and anthologies both in Australia and overseas including Wasafiri, Overland, Caribbean Quarterly, Moko Magazine and Mascara Literary Review. Her first collection of poetry, riversalt, was published by Flying Islands Books in 2015. Lou has a PhD in Creative Writing from the University of Melbourne. She is also co-founder of small publisher Breakdown Press. Lou is currently working on her second book of poetry. 

Fiona Spitzkowsky is a writer, editor and theatre-maker.

She has worked as a producer for Attic Erratic, creative producer for the Emerging Writers’ Festival and assistant producer for the Festival of Live Art at Arts House. In the past she has directed Taming of the Shrew (MUSC, 2015) and [Lady] Macbeth (Twelve Angry, 2016). As a writer, Fiona has worked extensively with Australian Theatre for Young People (National Studio 2014, Voices Project 2015, Fresh Ink Program 2015), while also penning scripts for Sprung Festival and Disability Media's What's Wrong With U?. In 2016, Fiona is a member of the Voiceworks editorial committee, has presented work at Crack Theatre Festival and Critical Animals Festival and her short work,Top Up, will be staged at Testing Grounds in November.

Lilit Žekulin Thwaites is an award-winning, Spanish-to-English, literary translator, specialising in the work of women writers. 

She won the inaugural Multicultural NSW Early Career Translator Prize at the 2015 New South Wales Premier’s Literary Awards, and a 2016 grant from the Melbourne UNESCO City of Literature Travel Fund. Lilit has been awarded a prestigious OMI Translation residency in the United States. Her translation of Tears in Rain by eminent Spanish author, Rosa Montero was recognised by World Literature Today as one of the75 Notable Translations of 2012. Its sequel, Weight of the Heart, was published in 2016.T he Immortal Collection (Eva García Sáenz) was released in 2014; and translations of short stories have been published in various journals and anthologies. She regularly presents sessions at writers’ festivals, gives lectures on Spanish-related topics, organises visits to Australia by Spanish-speaking writers, and features as a commentator on matters Spanish in the media. 

Vidya Rajan is a writer and performer currently based in Australia working across screenwriting, theatre, comedy, and digital space. A former writer-in-residence at the Malthouse Theatre, graduate of the VCA, and a recipient of ...