Sydney Writers' Festival

Michael Mohammed Ahmad (Australian)
Michael Mohammed Ahmad is chief editor of the Bankstown Youth Development Service literary department, Westside Publications. His writing has appeared in the literary journal, ‘HEAT’ and he has read and performed in the 2007 and 2008 Sydney Writers’ Festivals. Mohammed also developed and performed in the production of ‘Alleyway Honour’ for the 2009 Sydney Writers’ Festival. As an actor Mohammed has performed in Urban Theatre Project’s ‘Fast Cars and Tractor Engines’ and ‘Stories of Love and Hate’. In 2008 Michael Mohammed received a grant from the FTO’s Young Filmmakers Fund for his script, ‘The Pizza’.

Tim Carroll (Australian)
Tim Carroll has been the artistic director of Bankstown Youth Development Service since 1991. During this time he has nurtured, supported, encouraged and mentored local emerging artists from the Bankstown and Western Sydney area.

Roslyn Oades (Australian)
Roslyn Oades is an experienced director, performer, voice artist, puppeteer and visual artist. As a director she has created two new performance works with Urban Theatre Projects, ‘Stories of Love & Hate’ and ‘Fast Cars & Tractor Engines’. As a performer/collaborator she has worked with Not Yet It’s Difficult Blackhole Theatre, the Non-Fiction Theatre Company in London and Platform 27. Roslyn’s voice-over work includes roles on a number of animated series. This is Roslyn’s second time working with an ensemble of Western Sydney writers’ on ‘voice’ since directing 2009 SWF event, ‘Alleyway Honour’.

Alexis Wright (Australian)
Alexis Wright is a member of the Waanji nation of the highlands of the southern Gulf of Carpentaria. Her acclaimed first novel ‘Plains of Promise’ was shortlisted for the Commonwealth Writers' Prize, ‘The Age’ Book of the Year, and the NSW Premier's Awards. She has published two non-fiction works, ‘Take Power’ (as editor), celebrating 20 years of land rights in Central Australia and ‘Grog War’, an examination of alcohol abuse in Tennant Creek. Her most recent novel ‘Carpentaria’ won the Miles Franklin Award in 2007.

Ivor Indyk (Australian)
Ivor Indyk is the founding editor of ‘HEAT’ magazine and publisher of the Giramondo book imprint, now housed within the Writing and Society Research Group at the University of Western Sydney. A critic, essayist and reviewer, he has written a monograph on David Malouf and essays on many aspects of Australian literature. His current research projects include the history of Australian literary publishing, and the expression of awkwardness and embarrassment in Australian literature. Ivor's areas of postgraduate supervision include Australian literature and literary publishing.

also appearing at...
76: Poetry on the Harbour
234: Shanghai Express

Westside Writers Group (Australian)
The Westside Writers Group includes some of the most talented and exciting new writers to emerge from Western Sydney, featuring Fiona Wright, Lachlan Brown, Luke Carman, Rebecca Landon, Samantha Hogg, Bill Reda, Lina Jabbir, Peter Polites and Felecity Catasgna.