Amanda Ali is a Lebanese Australian creative based in Naarm/Melbourne. She is currently completing an Associate Degree in Professional Writing and Editing at RMIT University. Passionate about helping others hone their stories, she volunteers as a beta reader in online writing communities and provides aspiring authors with editorial feedback. Amanda additionally publishes contemporary and fantasy fiction online, with some works garnering 30,000 reads. In her free time, she illustrates character profiles and runs a social media account dedicated to promoting graphic novels and webcomics. She hopes to pursue a career in editorial, design and marketing departments within the book industry.

Hana Beyne is a first-generation Ethiopian Australian writer, and publishing student based in Perth. She is currently completing a Bachelor of Creative Writing and Professional Writing & Publishing at Curtin University, where she is developing her skills across all areas relating to publishing. Hana works as an associate at Elephant Page Publishing, a student-led publisher, contributing to the design and production team. She is also involved in volunteering at book-related community events and has a growing interest in bookbinding, and the physical craft of publishing. She is passionate about storytelling, accessible publishing, and building a future in the industry where emerging voices are supported from manuscript to publication.

Chandra Hazebroek is first-generation Indonesian Australian woman who loves culture and storytelling. Raised in WA, being trilingual and completing high school in Malaysia have shaped her appreciation of diverse perspectives and voices. She holds a BA Honours in Asian Studies and a Master’s in Professional Writing and Publishing from Curtin University where her research focused on culturally diverse Australian picture books. Her writing, including feature articles and book reviews, has been published in Good Reading Magazine. Chandra is currently developing a PhD project focused on how culturally diverse Australian children’s literature can support the development of long-term Asia capability.

Ruby Ingra is a Murri creative of Indigenous/European heritage, from Wakka Wakka mob through her paternal line and with ties to Uralla and Northern Rivers through her maternal line. Ruby is a freelance editor and graphic designer, and was one of the 2025 black&write! Editor Interns. She has always adored books and literature, and has a passion for literary fiction, magic realism and First Nations storytelling - with a special soft spot for fantasy, too.

Ledya Khamou is completing her Bachelor of Arts (Honours) at The University of Melbourne in English and Creative Writing. Her short fiction and poetry have appeared in Mascara Literary Review and Cordite. She is the recipient of The Next Chapter 2026 fellowship under the John Clarke award for humour writing, as well as the recipient of the 2025 AAWP Sudden Writing Prize, and the 2024 Dinny O'Hearn fellowship. Her interest in publishing was sparked by volunteering in student magazines such as Farrago and The Dialog as a sub-editor, columnist, and reviewer. As an avid reader of contemporary fiction, and a first-generation Iraqi immigrant, she is dedicated to spotlighting and championing debut fiction by marginalised voices in Australia.

Christine Lee is a second-generation Korean Australian passionate about championing diverse voices in Australian publishing, with a particular interest in literary and translated fiction. She is a recent Communications graduate from UTS, where she majored in Journalism and Writing & Publishing. Christine has published stories at The Sydney Morning Herald and currently works as a freelance journalist with the Australian Associated Press (AAP), writing fact-check articles. In addition to working as a journalist, she is a bookseller at QBD Books, combining her love of storytelling with hands-on retail experience in the book industry. With previous experience in copywriting and PR, she is particularly interested in working in the editorial, marketing, publicity, and sales departments within the publishing industry.

Maggie Pryke grew up in Wurundjeri Country and has ties to Gamilaroi, Wiradjuri and Kooma mob in New South Wales and Queensland. She is currently in the final year of her Bachelor of Creative Writing at Deakin University and is endeavouring to find work in publishing and editing. Some of her favourite subjects at uni have included: Editing, Writing and Publishing for Young People and Aboriginal Australian Stories and Songlines. She had the privilege of travelling to Japan in 2024 for her Global Indigenous Studies unit and in 2025 she took part in the NCP (New Columbo Plan) scholarship program in Fiji. Maggie loves reading fantasy and speculative fiction and enjoys writing short stories, poetry, songs and creative non-fiction

Zayaan Sallie is a South African-Australian woman living in Melbourne. Raised in the multicultural and politically polarised South Africa, she has grown into a lover of language, with a deep, lived understanding of the power of storytelling. She is currently completing a Master of Creative Writing, Publishing and Editing at the University of Melbourne and is a subeditor at the university’s Farrago Magazine. When she doesn’t have her head stuck in a book, you can find her picnicking at the park, relaxing at the beach or enjoying the latest and greatest films at the cinema.

Gisele Weishan is a Melbourne-based writer working across fiction, journalism, and publishing. She is completing a Bachelor of Arts in English and Political Science at the Australian National University and previously studied English Language and Culture at the Universiteit van Amsterdam. Her short fiction has appeared in literary magazines, been shortlisted for the Deborah Cass Prize and won the Lionel Bowen Young Writers Award. She has reported for university publications in Australia and the Netherlands, and has experience across editorial, communications, and marketing, including a placement at Allen & Unwin and communications work supporting the 2019 Sydney Global Climate Strike, for which she was nominated for the Dame Marie Bashir Peace Award for Leadership in Social Justice. She is fluent in English, French, and Spanish, and is currently working on a debut novel.