Mum’s the Word Gala

Dr Pragya Agarwal is a professor of social inequities, behavioural and data scientist, founder of a research think-tank investigating gender inequities, and author of four widely acclaimed non-fiction books for adults on racism, gender bias and motherhood, and a picture book for raising non-racist c... Read more

Sophie Beer is an award-winning illustrator/author living in Brisbane, Australia. She rejoices in creating bright, funny picture books which centre equality, inclusion and kindness. Her books have been printed all over the world and have sold close to one million copies. She has published with Pengu... Read more

Maxine Beneba Clarke is the author of the acclaimed memoir The Hate Race, the award-winning short fiction collection Foreign Soil, the poetry collections Carrying The World and How Decent Folk Behave, and many other books for adults and children. Her forthcoming poetry collection is It’s The S... Read more

Tony Birch is the author of four novels, five short fiction collections, and two poetry books. His most recent book is the novel, Women and Children (UQP). ... Read more

Monica Dux is a writer and commentator. She is the author of Lapsed: losing your religion is harder than it looks (HarperCollins ABC Books, 2021), Things I Didn’t Expect (when I was expecting) (MUP, 2013), co-author of The Great Feminist Denial (MUP, 2008), and editor of the anthology Mothermorpho... Read more

Clementine Ford is a Melbourne-based writer, speaker and feminist thinker. She is a columnist for Fairfax’s Daily Life and is a regular contributor to the Age and Sydney Morning Herald. Through her twice-weekly columns for Daily Life, Clementine explores issues of gen... Read more

Jan Fran is a Walkley-winning journalist, TV Presenter and internet commentator. Jan is the creator, writer and presenter of the online opinion segment, The Frant, which has been viewed more than 20 million times on social media and earned Jan a 2019 Walkley Award for Best Commentary, Analysis, Opin... Read more

Esther Freud trained as an actress before writing her first novel, Hideous Kinky, which was made into a film starring Kate Winslet. After publishing her second book she was chosen as one of Granta’s Best Young British Novelists. Her other novels include The Sea House, Lucky Break and Mr Mac and Me... Read more

Mali Hawke is a stand-up comedian. He has most recently hosted Up Next Comedy at Arts Centre Melbourne, was a finalist in The Melbourne Comedy Festival’s Class Clowns in 2021, and has since performed in various other lineups including Wheeler Centre’s ‘Mum’s The Word’ g... Read more

Eliza Hull is an award-winning musician, writer and disability advocate. Eliza is a disabled woman, with a physical disability ‘Charcot Marie Tooth.’ Eliza is the editor and creator of the book We’ve Got This: Stories by Disabled Parents. She has been a guest on The Today Show, The Drum, ABC N... Read more

Patricia Karvelas is a prominent Australian journalist, beginning her professional career at the ABC and SBS 20 years ago. She currently presents Radio National’s flagship radio current affairs programme RN Breakfast. Patricia co-hosts the ABC’s popular weekly political podcast, The Party Room... Read more

Libby O’Donovan OAM is a ‘powerful and sassy performer’ (The Sydney Morning Herald), renowned for her nuanced interpretations and extraordinary voice. Libby is the recipient of the 2022 Cabaret Icon Award and has received an OAM in recognition of her service as a critically acclaimed j... Read more

Ronnie Scott’s first novel The Adversary was shortlisted for a Queensland Literary Award and the ALS Gold Medal; his second novel, Shirley, will be published in February. He teaches Creative Writing at RMIT.

Rachel Yoder is the author of Nightbitch, her debut novel released in July 2021. Selected as an Indie Next Pick in August 2021, Nightbitch has gone on to be named a best book of the year by Esquire and Vulture and recognized as a finalist for the PEN/Hemingway Award for Debut Fiction, finalist for t... Read more