The Next Big Thing: Hot Desk Edition #3

Arty Owens is a queer, chronically ill writer based in Naarm (Melbourne). Along with writing young adult fiction and children’s literature, they write non fiction short stories. Their craft is informed by their illness, anxiety, dark sense of humour and the social model of disability.

Julie Dickson is a writer and editor based in Naarm (Melbourne). She enjoys reading and writing contemporary young adult novels and free verse poetry. Following her passion, she completed a Bachelor of Arts (Professional and Creative Writing) at Deakin University. Because one degree wasn’t enough,... Read more

Leila Lois is a dancer and writer. She writes articles and dance reviews for The Age, ArtsHub and Delving into Dance. She is also a published poet in various journals including Cordite Poetry and Southerly Journal. Her debut chapbook, Flesh into Blossom, came out last year. In 2021, Leila appeared s... Read more

Maki Morita is a writer and performance-maker living and working on unceded Wurundjeri country. Maki is currently working on a live art piece to be exhibited at Linden New Art and is remounting her play Trash Pop Butterflies, Dance Dance Paradise (reading at fortyfivedownstairs). She is a 2022 Wheel... Read more

Olivia Muscat writes about disability, the arts and random things that pop into her head. Her writing features in the anthologies Meet Me at the Intersection, Women of a Certain Rage, and Growing Up Disabled in Australia. She writes theatre criticism for Witness Performance, and has presented work a... Read more

Amarachi Okorom is an Igbo Nigerian-born actor, spoken word poet and playwright who grew up in Auckland and is now based in Naarm/Melbourne. Amarachi joined Western Edge in 2017, performing in Caliban as part of the Edge Ensemble. Her recent acting credits include Future Echoes: Edge Ensemble at the... Read more

Christy Tan has been published in Cordite Poetry Review, The Suburban Review, Australian Poetry’s Tell Me Like you Mean It, Runway Journal, Going Down Swinging, Peril Magazine, and elsewhere. She has performed at the Digital Writers’ Festival, Emerging Writers’ Festival, National Young... Read more

Mason Wood is a writer living on Wurundjeri Land. He is published in Voiceworks and online at Archer, Meanjin and Going Down Swinging. He is a recipient of the Wheeler Centre Hot Desk Fellowship 2022. He is currently the Marketing Manager at Going Down Swinging.

Diem is the Wheeler Centre’s Program Coordinator. She has worked at the Emerging Writers’ Festival, Writers Victoria, and the Centre for Youth Literature at the State Library of Victoria. She holds a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Gender Studies and a Master of Arts and Cultural Management, both ... Read more