Skye Cusack is an emerging Dulgubarra Yidinji and Asian publishing professional currently working as the Marketing Coordinator at Magabala Books. With 13 years of activism-based marketing experience, Skye approaches her work in publishing not simply as a profession, but as a tool for cultural change and community impact.

She was shortlisted for the 2026 Creative Australia Youth Award for Achievement in the Arts for her contribution to the First Nations arts industry, as well as receiving various writing grants and fellowships. A writer as well, she is publishing two novels in 2027: Queer romantic comedy Checked Out with Penguin Random House Australia and New Adult novel The Dangers of Just One Person with Magabala Books.

Rachel Chopping is Key Accounts Executive at Thames & Hudson Australia and one of the company's most promising emerging publishing professionals.  

Rachel joined Thames & Hudson in 2024 as Sales Coordinator and was promoted to Key Accounts Executive in 2026 following a series of significant contributions to the business. In her current role she manages relationships with key strategic partners including the Australian Booksellers Association, Brumby Gift Wholesale and Thames & Hudson’s New Zealand distribution network.

Rachel’s career reflects a deep commitment to books, readers and the publishing industry. Before joining Thames & Hudson, she worked as a bookseller with Harry Hartog, Mary Martin Bookshop and Neighbourhood Books, developing a strong understanding of bookselling, customer behaviour and retail operations. She also worked with the Australian Booksellers Association and has contributed to the broader literary community through volunteer work with the Canberra Writers Festival, an internship with Bowen Street Press, and ongoing copyediting work for the Australian Literary Studies Journal.

She holds a Bachelor of Philosophy from the Australian National University and a Master of Writing, Publishing and Media Studies from RMIT University.

At Thames & Hudson, Rachel has distinguished herself through her initiative, analytical thinking and commitment to continuous improvement. Most notably, she transformed the company’s monthly sales catalogue and order-form process through the implementation of a new Edelweiss workflow, reducing a labour-intensive two-week process to just a few days while significantly improving accuracy and scalability.

Known for her reliability, warmth and professionalism, Rachel combines bookselling expertise with commercial acumen and a genuine passion for publishing. She represents the next generation of publishing talent and leadership within the Australian book industry.

Jaimi Kuster holds a Master’s degree in Publishing and Communications from the University of Melbourne and has developed a career that spans traditional production and contemporary digital product delivery.

Beginning in print publishing, she has successfully transitioned into a highly capable project and product management role, supporting the development of innovative digital education solutions. Jaimi is known for her ability to work across disciplines, bringing together technology teams, developers and print vendors to deliver high-quality products. She demonstrates strong initiative and problem-solving capability, often identifying risks early and driving practical solutions to keep delivery on track.

She has a deep interest in emerging technologies, particularly AI, and actively builds her knowledge through industry engagement, including EdTech events, which she shares with colleagues to uplift team capability. Her focus on applying AI responsibly in educational publishing reflects both her technical curiosity and commitment to positive learner outcomes. Jaimi is a collaborative and supportive team member who consistently contributes to process improvement and vendor development. Her ability to balance strategic thinking with delivery detail makes her a valuable and trusted contributor within the organisation.

Caleb Vines was raised in Geelong by a journalist mother who filled his childhood home with books, Caleb has always been fascinated by stories and storytelling. He completed a Bachelor of Arts at the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA) and began his working life as a professional performer playing major roles in musicals across Australasia. The COVID lockdowns enabled him to address a growing desire to switch careers, and he enrolled in a Masters of Publishing at Sydney University while working as a bookseller at Berkelouw Books.

In January 2022 he joined a company he had long admired, becoming the Receptionist and Faber Academy Coordinator at Allen & Unwin’s Sydney office. It was the perfect position from which to observe a publishing house from the inside and confirmed that he had found his true vocation. He also found himself drawn to the Children’s and Young Adult Books list and in November 2022 when a job opened in the Melbourne office, he landed the role as Publishing Coordinator of A&U Children’s Books.

The children’s division has since undergone a significant transition with staff changes, an office move and the implementation of a new IT system. Caleb quickly learned a daunting range of custom database tasks and made it his mission to facilitate the Children’s team’s transition to the new system. In 2024 he was promoted to Publishing Operations Manager, impacting the company at almost every level of its day-to-day operations and demonstrating a deep understanding of the business of publishing.

Annie Zhang is a Chinese-Australian editor at Hachette. She started her career at Bloomsbury Publishing as an administration assistant, before moving to UNSW Press/NewSouth Books as a publishing and publicity coordinator. She soon became an editor at Scholastic, working across picture books, middle grade fiction, chapter books and graphic novels. Since 2023, she has worked at Hachette on adult fiction and non-fiction, as well as children’s titles. In 2026, Annie completed the APA’s prestigious Residential Editorial Program.

Annie is also a writer who has been widely published in journals such as OVERLAND, DEBRIS MAGAZINE, LIMINAL MAGAZINE, THE BIG ISSUE, ISLAND and more. Her writing won first prize in the Neilma Sidney Short Story Prize and was shortlisted for a Woollahra Digital Literary Award. She has been awarded a Westwords Western Sydney Emerging Writer Fellowship and a Wheeler Centre Hot Desk Fellowship.

As an editor, Annie has a particular interest in adult literary fiction, speculative fiction and commercial fiction. She is passionate about nurturing an author’s artistic vision, supporting marginalised voices in the publishing industry, and championing the power of language and storytelling.