Thriving as a Writer

Tarntanya (Adelaide), Australia

Hossein Asgari studied physics and creative writing. His debut novel, Only Sound Remains, was shortlisted for the Miles Franklin Literary Award and the Victorian Premier Literary Awards in 2024. His second novel, Desolation, was published in 2025. He works as a researcher at UniSA Creative.

Appearing in: Thriving as a Writer

Eora Nations (Sydney), Australia

Yumna Kassab is a writer based in Sydney. She is the author of The House of Youssef, Australiana, The Lovers, and Politica. The Theory of Everything is her latest book, and it is available from Ultimo Press. She is the inaugural Parramatta Laureate in Literature.

Appearing in: Thriving as a Writer and Guilty Pleasures

Boorloo (Perth), Australia

Sukhjit Kaur Khalsa OAM is a writer, performer, producer, and cultural leader based in Boorloo. Her debut novel Fully Sikh: hot chips and turmeric stains (Upswell Publishing) was released in February 2025.

Appearing in: Thriving as a Writer and What Will People Say?

Meanjin (Brisbane), Australia

Siang Lu is the Miles Franklin-winning author of Ghost Cities and ABIA-winning author of The Whitewash. He is the co-creator of The Beige Index and the creator of #sillybookstagram. Siang is based in Brisbane, Australia, and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Appearing in: Thriving as a Writer and Some of My Best Friends Are Made Up

Ngunnawal and Ngambri Country, Canberra, Australia

Qin Qin is a writer committed to living consciously for a more peaceful and sustainable world. As a former unfulfilled overachiever, her memoir Model Minority Gone Rogue (The Age Book of the Year shortlist 2025) explores choosing love over fear.

Appearing in: Thriving as a Writer, What Will People Say? and Guilty Pleasures