With a fan base far beyond that of its ‘young’ descriptor, Young Adult fiction is a not-so-guilty pleasure of readers of all ages – and Australian authors are producing some of the best work in the business. Come and hear from some of the newest voices adding shine to the golden age of YA, including Alison Whittaker, Emily Gale, Jessie Perrin and Marlee Jane Ward.
Featuring
Alison Whittaker is a Gomeroi multitasker. Between 2017–2018, she was a Fulbright scholar at Harvard Law School, where she was named the Dean’s Scholar in Race, Gender and Criminal Law. Alison is a Senior Researcher at the Jumbunna Institute at UTS. Her debut poetry collection, Lemons in the Ch... Read more
Marlee Jane Ward is a writer, reader and weirdo living in Melbourne. She grew up on the Central Coast of New South Wales and studied Creative Writing at the University of Wollongong. In 2014 she attended the Clarion West Writers Workshop in Seattle, Washington. You can find her short stories in th... Read more
Emily Gale has been involved in the children’s book industry for nearly 20 years and has worked as an editor, reviewer, talent finder and literary award judge. She spent several happy years at independent bookshop Readings as a children’s book buyer, during which time she was instru... Read more
Jessie Perrin lives in Naarm. She has a Master in Creative Writing and her work has appeared in various Australian publications. She currently teaches movement and 80s Aerobics dance classes.
Watch, Listen, Read
Listen
Origin of You: Mindy Meng Wang 王萌 and Sui Zhen
Watch
Jane Smiley in Conversation
Listen
Richard Flanagan: Question 7
Watch
In Conversation with Fern Brady: Strong Female Character
Watch
Mind Over Machine: AI, Creativity, Humanities, and the Arts
Listen