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Chip Rolley - Artistic Director |
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Chip is an editor, literary project manager and freelance writer who has worked in Australia, the US and China. Conversant with current literary, social, cultural and political issues and debates and with an eclectic background including marketing, advertising and literary events management experience, he also has a strong background of activism for freedom of expression, particularly through his recent involvement with International Pen and Sydney PEN.
In his writing, Chip has covered a very wide range of subjects from politics to poetry and from food to fashion. He also has a particular focus on literature and Chinese politics and culture. His work has appeared in a variety of publications, including the Wall Street Journal, the Sydney Morning Herald, the Age, the Australian, Griffith Review, the Bulletin, Vogue and Rolling Stone.
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Ben Strout - Executive Director |
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Ben was the Executive Director of Arts Funding at the Australia Council for the Arts for nine years. He headed the Books Alive staff for the first three campaigns and was a member of both the Contemporary Visual Arts and Craft Inquiry and the Cultural Ministers Council Small to Medium Performing Arts Examination. He was also a longstanding member of the Asialink Performance / Arts Management Committee and of the Playing Australia National Touring Committee.
Ben has a BA cum laude in History of Ideas from Williams College, Massachusetts. He studied theatre in Connecticut (USA) and worked as a performer with theatres in Pennsylvania, New York, Maryland, Connecticut and New Hampshire before arriving in Australia in 1982 to become the Artistic Director of Australia's Theatre of the Deaf, directing and writing productions for young audiences. He joined the Australia Council in 1987 and - except for 1990, when he was the Executive Director of the Australian Centre of the International Theatre Institute - held a number of senior roles at the Council over the ensuing 21 years.
Ben joined Sydney Writers' Festival in February 2009.
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Annette Alderson - Operations Manager |
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For 20 years, Annette Alderson has worked across Australia as a production and stage manager on many of Australia's premier arts events, including nine years with Sydney Festival.
From 2002 to 2005, Annette was Head of Production for The City of Sydney's New Year's Eve celebrations. Annette holds a Bachelor of Arts in English and Fine Arts from Sydney University, and a Diploma in Performing Arts from Wollongong University.
Annette joined Sydney Writers' Festival as Operations Manager in 2005. Contact Annette for any production issues regarding Sydney Writers' Festival.
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Linly Goh - Marketing & Audience Development Manager |
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Linly has worked in marketing and communications for more than 10 years, including roles at the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games, Commission for Children and Young People and Sydney Festival.
Linly came to SWF from Sydney Festival in April 2007. At Sydney Writers' Festival Linly is responsible for creating and implementing the marketing and communications campaign. She also manages the Festival's School Days program, then children's and young adult program, and the suburban and regional program in addition to providing programming support to the Artistic Director.
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Helen Johnstone - Publicist |
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Helen has worked in publicity for the last eight years. Her previous role was as Senior Publicity Manager for HarperCollins Publishers in London where she worked with authors such as Tracy Chevalier, Lionel Shriver, Boris Johnson and Paulo Coelho. In 2007 Helen was awarded a British Book Industry Award for the Publicity Campaign of the Year (The Dangerous Book for Boys). During her time in publishing she was a keen supporter of the Reading Agency and Publisher partnership and worked across several public reading initiatives.
Helen took on the role of SWF Publicist in January 2009. She is responsible for all dealings with the media and profile awareness of the Festival and participants. Helen also works closely with the Development Manager to manage the Festival's corporate and public hospitality events.
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Stella Collier - Administrator |
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Stella has a background in bookselling and bookshop management. She spent seven years working for Waterstone's in Edinburgh before moving to Sydney, where she obtained a postgraduate diploma in English Literature from UNSW. In the past ten years she has worked in administrative roles for The Australian Society of Authors, The Australian Copyright Council and most recently, Accessible Arts.
Stella started work for the Festival in January 2007 and is responsible for the organisation's accounts and office administration.
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