"Well, Australia has written off Asia for almost 200 years; written off the countries of Asia, with cultural traditions of thousands of years. Perhaps it is time to write Asia; to write within it and of it, rather than just about it. The word Asia is found, after all, in the word Australia. If Australia wants to refigure itself in its relationship to the countries of Asia, to become part of Asia, as it were, then Asia must also be part of Australia." Brian Castro, Writing Asia and Auto/biography published by the Australian Defence Forces Academy, 1996.
BRIAN CASTRO (LOCAL) BRIAN CASTRO is the author of nine novels, including the multi award-winning Double-Wolf and Shanghai Dancing. He has also published a volume of essays. His latest novel is The Garden Book. The Bath Fugues will be published in June 2009. He is currently the chair of Creative Writing at the University of Adelaide.
TOM CHO (INTERSTATE) TOM CHO is a Melbourne-based fiction writer. His short fiction collection, Look Who's Morphing, was recently published. His stories have also been published widely in journals and anthologies, both in Australia and overseas. He has won numerous grants and awards for his fiction, and is currently completing a PhD in Professional Writing. tomcho.com
MERLINDA BOBIS (LOCAL) MERLINDA BOBIS is the author of The Solemn Lantern Maker. Her first novel, Banana Heart Summer, was shortlisted for the Australian Literary Society Gold Medal. Summer Was a Fast Train Without Terminals was shortlisted for The Age Poetry Book Award. Her plays have been performed in Australia and internationally. She teaches creative writing at the University of Wollongong. merlindabobis.com.au
NICHOLAS JOSE (LOCAL) NICHOLAS JOSE is a novelist and essayist who has written widely on contemporary Australian and Asian culture. His novels include Avenue of Eternal Peace, The Rose Crossing, The Red Thread and, most recently, Original Face. He has also published Chinese Whispers, Cultural Essays and Black Sheep: Journey to Borroloola. He has a chair in Writing in the University of Western Sydney’s Writing & Society Research Group. He will take up a Harvard chair of Australian Studies for 2009-10.
ADAM AITKEN (LOCAL) ADAM AITKEN spent his early childhood in London, Thailand and Malaysia before settling in Sydney. As well as numerous articles on poetry, a PhD thesis on Asian-Australian literature, academic articles and works of creative non-fiction, he is the author of four full-length collections of poetry. He recently spent a year in Cambodia working on his latest book of poems, Eighth Habitation. He has been an English teacher in Indonesia and lectures in Academic Language and Literacy at the University of Technology, Sydney.
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