Sydney Writers' Festival

KEVIN RABALAIS (INTERSTATE)
Kevin Rabalais is the author of the novel The Landscape of Desire and co-editor of Novel Voices, conversations with award-winning American writers. His work has appeared in the Melbourne Age, The Sydney Morning Herald, The Weekend Australian, The Wellington Dominion-Post, the New Orleans Times-Picayune and in numerous literary journals, including Tin House, Brick and The Kenyon Review.

appearing at...
97: Identity
142: Both Sides of the Coin
178: Imagining History

NALDO REI (INTERNATIONAL)
Naldo Rei was just six months old when Indonesia invaded East Timor in December 1975. He lived the first three years of his life in the jungle, where his family had fled for safety. After his father was murdered for his work in the resistance movement, nine-year-old Naldo joined the clandestine resistance and began his own extraordinary journey fighting for East Timor’s freedom.

Throughout his teenage years, Naldo was imprisoned and tortured regularly for his covert opposition to the brutal Indonesian regime. Eventually, in too much danger to remain in his homeland, he escaped to Indonesia and then Australia for several years.

Now living in an independent East Timor, Naldo Rei can tells his incredible story in his book Resistance. His life is proof that no amount of danger or loss can crush the human spirit.

appearing at...
80: Private Lives, Public Histories
159: Small Stories, Big Politics
239: Naldo Rei in Conversation

JAMES RESTON JNR (INTERNATIONAL)
James Reston Jr is a critically acclaimed writer and historian whose books include Warriors of God, Dogs of God, The Last Apocalypse, Galileo: A Life, Fragile Innocence, and, most recently, The Conviction of Richard Nixon: the untold story of the Frost/Nixon interviews.
www.restonbooks.com

appearing at...
93: James Reston Jr in Conversation
256: Commentariat
306: American Dreaming

MARGARET REYNOLDS (INTERSTATE)
Margaret Reynolds has a background in education, social policy and human rights.

She was born in Launceston and after training at the University of Tasmania, taught in special education over a 15-year period. She established Kindergarten Headstart for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in 1967.

Margaret has extensive experience in social policy development and advocacy, working at local, state and federal government levels. She was elected to the Townsville City Council 1979-1983 and the Australian Senate 1983-1999.

As Minister for Local Government and the Status of Women 1987-1990 she developed a range of initiatives to highlight access and equity issues. She represented the Australian Government on the Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation 1991-1996. Margaret has worked with a number of international organisations to promote human rights and was National President of the United Nations Association of Australia 1999-2005. She has represented Australia at a number of UN Conferences and at the UN General Assembly in 1997.

Margaret taught human rights and international politics at the University of Queensland and is currently Adjunct Professor at the University of Tasmania. Since 2004 Margaret has worked in disability policy and advocacy and is State Manager of National Disability Services based in Hobart.

Her book, Living Politics, tracing her career in Australian and international politics was released in 2007.

appearing at...
257: The Lost Art of Oratory
292: Women in Politics
317: Margaret Reynolds in Conversation with Carmen Lawrence

JUDITH RIDGE (LOCAL)
Judith Ridge is the Western Sydney Young People’s Literature Officer. She is also a writer, editor, teacher and blogger.

www.westword.wordpress.com

appearing at...
31: Right Down to the Plumbing: Speculative Fiction and World-building

DAVID RIEFF (INTERNATIONAL)
David Rieff is a contributing writer to The New York Times Magazine. He is a contributing editor to The New Republic and a contributing writer to the Los Angeles Times Book Review, as well as a frequent contributor to many other newspapers and magazines in the US and Europe.

He is the author of six previous books, including the acclaimed A Bed for the Night: Humanitarianism in Crisis and Slaughterhouse: Bosnia and the Failure of the West. His latest book is Swimming in a Sea of Death.

David Rieff’s participation in Sydney Writers’ Festival is supported by Melbourne University Publishing.

appearing at...
128: David Rieff on ABC Radio National’s Book Show
256: Commentariat
328: Remembering Parents

ANDREW RIEMER (LOCAL)
Andrew Riemer is a writer, translator and critic, and chief book reviewer of The Sydney Morning Herald. He was the 1999 winner of The Geraldine Pascall Prize for Critical Writing.

appearing at...
142: Both Sides of the Coin
179: Families Through Generations
242: Writing Lives

ARCHIE ROACH (INTERSTATE)
Archie Roach is an Australian musician. A singer, songwriter and guitarist, he survived a turbulent upbringing to develop into a powerful voice for indigenous Australia, a storyteller in the tradition of his ancestors, and a nationally popular and respected artist. His music features in the documentary Liyarn Ngarn.

www.archieroach.com.au

appearing at...
51: Liyarn Ngarn

DAVID ROACH (LOCAL)
David Roach is best known as a screenwriter, producer and teacher. He has written and produced feature films including Young Einstein and Reckless Kelly for Warner Bros and MGM/UA. His documentaries for BBC, ABC and SBS include the critically acclaimed Singer, a Dangerous Mind. He has also produced albums in Cuba and presented screenwriting master classes at Arts Festivals, Universities and conferences. Current funded projects in development include the feature film, Going Nowhere Fast, set in the UK and Bulgaria and The Silence, a WW1 drama about Australian miners on the Western Front.

David and his wife, journalist and broadcaster Caroline Baum, are directors of TWO HEADS MEDIA Pty Ltd. They live in Wombarra on the South Coast of NSW.

appearing at...
175: Bound to the Track

MICHAEL ROBOTHAM (LOCAL)
Michael Robotham began his career an investigative journalist in Australia and Britain. He later became a ghostwriter, collaborating with the likes of Lulu, Rolf Harris, Geri Halliwell and Ricky Tomlinson, in penning more than a dozen bestselling autobiographies.

Michael’s first novel The Suspect was in international bestseller with more than a million in sales. His second novel Lost won the Ned Kelly Award for Australia’s best crime novel in 2005 and his third novel The Night Ferry was short-listed for the UK Steel Dagger and 2007 Ned Kelly awards.

Michael currently lives in Sydney with his wife and three daughters. His latest novel is Shatter.


www.michaelrobotham.com

appearing at...
338: Workshop: Crime Writing with Michael Robotham
7: Workshop: Crime Writing with Michael Robotham
171: Thrilling Tales
310: Heroes and Criminals

EMILY RODDA (LOCAL)
Emily Rodda is one of Australia’s most popular children’s authors. She is the author of the outstandingly successful Deltora Quest novels and has won the CBCA’s Book of the Year (Younger Readers) award a record five times. In 1995 she received the Dromkeen Medal for services to Australian children’s literature.

She began writing as a child and continued that passion as a publisher and editor before deciding to write children’s books full time. Emily’s latest book is The Key to Rondo.
www.emilyrodda.com

appearing at...
8: Primary School Days – Parramatta
17: Emily Rodda at Penrith Library
23: Primary School Days – Sydney

SAM ROGGEVEEN (LOCAL)
Sam Roggeveen a former intelligence analyst, is a fellow at the Lowy Institute. He blogs at www.lowyinterpreter.org.

appearing at...
34: John Gray Business Breakfast

JACOB G. ROSENBERG (LOCAL)
Jacob G. Rosenberg was born in Poland. He spent the last years of the Second World War in German concentration camps. He emigrated to Australia in 1948. His latest book, Sunrise West, is a memoir of these times and is a sequel to East of Time. Sunrise West has won the 2008 Community Relations Commission Award.

appearing at...
45: Readings from the New South Wales Premier’s Literary Awards