BookUp 2024

Editor of Meanjin Esther Anatolitis is one of Australia's most influential advocates for arts and culture. She is Hon A/Prof at RMIT School of Art and a member of the National Gallery of Australia Governing Council. Across two decades Esther has led arts and media organisations across all artforms, and her strategic consultancy Test Pattern celebrates 25 years this year. Esther regularly facilitates creative and political conversations and is a prolific writer and commentator. Her book Place, Practice, Politics was published in 2022, and her anthology Essays that Changed Australia: Meanjin 1940 to Today will be published in time for Christmas.

Anna Burkey leads Australia Reads, and is the Head of Communications for the Australian Publishers Association. After several years in leadership roles with State Library Victoria, running events and education programming, business development and the Centre for Youth Literature, Anna is working with APA members and partners across the country to grow Australia Reads - a national not-for-profit collaboration aimed at increasing reading rates.

Cat Colwell is the Head of Product and Supply Chain at the Australian Publishers Association. She manages TitlePage, the industry's bibliographic look-up service; is a coordinator of Australian metadata groups; and is passionate about improving the industry's metadata and data infrastructure. Previously she coordinated the APA's international book fair programs, including the launch of the Books From Australia website. Cat has an operations background from children's toys and as a bookseller, and when not geeking out about data and tech she'll take any opportunity to lose herself in books, the bush, or up a mountain. 

Arpita Das is the Founder and Publisher of the New Delhi-based independent publishing house Yoda Press. Celebrating its 20th year in 2024, Yoda Press publishes new perspectives on history, sexuality, dissent, cities and popular culture, with a focus on narrative non-fiction and graphic novels. Das is also editor of the South Asia Series at Melbourne University Publishing (MUP), and a columnist on South Asian book culture for Publishing Perspectives. 

Dr Stuart Glover is the Manager for Policy and Government Relation at the Australian Publishers Association. He is a member of the Attorney-General’s Copyright and AI Reference Group (and likewise its Steering Committee). Stuart has a background as an arts administrator and cultural industries consultant and as academic specialising in book industry policy and editing practices.

Lamisse Hamouda is the author of The Shape of Dust, a memoir written with her father, Hazem Hamouda. The Shape of Dust discusses Hazem’s experience as a dual-citizen and political prisoner incarcerated in Egypt. Lamisse has written for publications such as RUSSH and Arts of the Working Class, and her poetry was published in the anthology Arab, Australian, Other: Stories on Race & Identity. Lamisse is also a workshop facilitator, youth worker and Adjunct Lecturer at UNSW. As a youth worker, Lamisse specialises in working with unaccompanied humanitarian minors in state care. She has undertaken training with QPASTT (Queensland Program of Assistance to Survivors of Torture & Trauma), Three Pillars of Transforming Care by Dr. Howard Bath, Youth Mental Health First Aid and Therapeutic Crisis Intervention (TCI). 

Lex Hirst is the Publishing Director of independent publishing house Pantera Press. A publisher of award-winning, best-selling, culturally vital fiction and nonfiction, she is always on the lookout for big ideas, clear voices and remarkable storytelling. Lex previously edited and commissioned books at Penguin Random House, was on the SAMAG Committee and programmed literary events. She is currently on the Board of the National Young Writers’ Festival, following on from her stint as Artistic Co-Director in 2014-15. 

Bianca Jafari is the Sales Manager at Thames and Hudson Australia. She entered the industry as a publicist, working for Laurence King Publishing. In 2021 she joined the Thames and Hudson team as a development editor, launching the company’s gift publishing in Australia and producing multiple bestsellers. In the same year she was shortlisted for an ABIA Rising Star Award. Bianca was a mentor for the first year of the Open Book internship program and a tutor and guest lecturer for the University of Melbourne’s Masters of Publishing. She is passionate about breaking down barriers for new and diverse talent to succeed in the publishing industry.

Josephine Johnston is CEO of Copyright Agency, an Australian not-for-profit organisation that collects licence fees for the reuse of text and images and distributes these as copyright royalty payments to its 40,000 creator members. The fees collected by Copyright Agency support future investment in Australian art, stories and teaching resources. The licences administered by Copyright Agency enables users to embrace the potential of new technologies in an equitable and ethical way, ensuring that creators are fairly compensated. Jo is a strong advocate for the Australian creative industry and the importance of fair remuneration for the use of their work. She loves this role as it also involves her passion for supporting literacy and the power of reading to transform lives. A lawyer by trade with a background spanning private practice, in-house and government, Jo has extensive experience in the corporate sector, broadcast media and intellectual property. 

Kristy Kendall is the very proud Principal of Toorak College, a 150-year-old independent school on the Mornington Peninsula in Victoria. Kristy graduated from Monash University with a Bachelor of Arts (majoring in Psychology and Drama) and then went on to complete a Diploma of Education. She completed her School Principal’s Training at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Education and her Masters of Education at Monash University. Kristy has been a VCAA assessor for VCE Psychology, authored eight VCE titles in the subject, and maintains an ongoing involvement in publishing in this area. She is also the state presenter for Unit 3 & 4 Psychology for Edrolo and teaches thousands of students a year through this highly regarded program. Kristy is an incredibly passionate educator who knows she is in the most fabulous profession in the world, which allows her to spend every day with brilliant young people. 

Troy Lewis has worked in the publishing industry for close to 20 years, with extensive experience in senior commercial, marketing and publishing roles at Penguin Random House, DK, Disney Publishing and Hardie Grant Publishing. In 2022 he moved into his current role as Global Director People & Culture at Hardie Grant, providing strategic leadership in this space in Australia and North America. Troy holds an MBA from Monash University and a Bachelor of Business (Marketing) from RMIT University, and has extensive experience in strategic management, governance, talent development, partnership and business development, stakeholder management and engagement, learning and development. 

Hayley McQuire is a Darumbal and South Sea Islander woman born and raised in Rockhampton, Central Queensland. Her work is centred on community, relationality and convening new collectives to rethink education. She is the co-founder and CEO of The National Indigenous Youth Education Coalition, Co-Chair of Learning Creates Australia and board director for a number of non-profit organisations. She brings over 10 years of experience working across Indigenous policy and training, and has worked on advocacy campaigns and capacity-building initiatives with education coalitions and young people around the world.

Sharon Mullins is an editor and copywriter with a 30-year career spanning scholarly, trade and digital publishing, as well as corporate communications. She currently teaches editing and publishing studies at the University of Melbourne in the School of Culture and Communications. Sharon is a member of IPEd’s working group on AI and part of a cross-institutional academic research group, investigating the possibilities and pitfalls of using generative AI as an editing tool.

Kajal Narayan is the Head of Marketing at Pantera Press and has been in publishing for almost 10 years. She has a wealth of experience, and has worked on everything from bespoke local campaigns to international blockbusters.

Bethany Nevile has worked in the book industry for nearly two decades, and is currently based in Sydney as a Campaign Manager at Hachette Australia. After eight years as a bookseller, she completed the intensive publishing course at Columbia University in New York, and specialised in marketing books for all ages. Bethany has created and executed initiatives such as The Hachette Haul, the Date a Book YA Showcase, and multiple high-profile campaigns, including for the bestselling phenomenon Fourth Wing.

Ben Pecora-Burne is currently leading digital innovation at Hardie Grant Publishing as the Head of Product (Digital). With a deep-rooted background in media and market research, including a decade-long tenure at Nielsen as the Director of Product Strategy (APAC), Ben has been instrumental in spearheading strategic digital transformations. At BookUp, he brings his expertise in artificial intelligence and digital product management to discussions on the future of publishing. 

Helen Rabenda is a Publisher at Wiley (Jacaranda), having joined the Jacaranda team in 2020 as a specialist author and contributor for Humanities and Commerce. With a 15-year background as a teacher and educational leader, she brings extensive curriculum knowledge from both her teaching experience and her roles in leading multiple faculties and overseeing key policy areas. Helen continues to engage in curriculum-based roles with the VCAA. She is passionate about identifying and responding to market needs and collaborating with educators to deliver the best inclusive, digital-first resources for secondary schools.

With over a decade in education, Katherine Roan has built a versatile career spanning teaching, educational research, and pioneering roles in EdTech, including as a founder of Edapt Education. She has also been involved in educational publishing as both an author and product manager. These experiences have given Katherine a robust understanding of the interplay between education, publishing, and technology. Having delved into blockchain, web3, and now the transformative potential of AI in education, Katherine is keenly aware of both the challenges and opportunities that these cutting-edge technologies hold for the publishing industry. At BookUp, she looks forward to sharing her insights on AI's role in reshaping publishing and engaging in dynamic discussions about leveraging these innovations to drive industry advancement.

Nick Rose is the Founder and Chair of Curriculum Writers Association Australia. Following a 10-year teaching career, Nick moved into the educational publishing and EdTech industry specialising in both print and digital resources. He has contributed to digital and print products for the Australian curriculum, Victorian curriculum, NSW syllabus and other curricula. As a curriculum expert, Nick authored two widely used textbooks for the EAL (English as an Additional Language) market in Israel, then led teams who created a wide range of educational resources. In 2014 he founded an English and Hebrew language school with supporting digital resources, which ran face-to-face and online programs for students across Israel and Palestine. Moving back to Australia in 2021, Nick transitioned to management roles, which included leading teams consisting of curriculum experts, editorial staff, developers and external vendors. Nick has successfully designed and implemented best-practice digital workflows for both Essential Assessment and Pearson Australia. At CWAA, Nick guides the committee coordinating the service delivery, membership strategy, outreach, marketing and fundraising of the association. The establishment of this association stems from a passion of connecting stakeholders to improve curriculum.

Cam Salton has worked in the education industry for over 20 years, starting as an English teacher in 2001 before moving into the education publishing industry in 2008, initially as a commissioning editor. Since 2008, Cam has held various publishing positions at Pearson Australia and is currently Director of Learning Services for K-12, leading a talented team of publishers, product owners, PMO and Production. Cam is also the Convener of the APA’s Schools Educational Publishers Committee and a member of the APA Board, where he works with members to engage with curriculum bodies and other key stakeholders in the K-12 space.

Kate Schaffner is the Director of Creative Workplaces at Creative Australia. Before joining Creative Australia in January 2024, Kate held a number of leadership roles at the Fair Work Commission. She worked on the implementation of workplace relations policy reforms during the coronavirus pandemic and in response to the Respect@Work Recommendations, and has led national case management, information and engagement teams. Kate is a strong advocate for plain language communication, and a longstanding champion for clear and accessible information for workers and businesses. Kate holds an Executive Master of Public Administration from the University of Melbourne and a Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Laws from the University of Tasmania. A former allied health professional, Kate also has Bachelor and Master qualifications in Health and Clinical Sciences.

Lauren Stewart's professional focus to-date has been the business of writing and publishing in Canada. Her career has seen her at a literary agency, bookstores, literary event series, and a professional writers' association. She currently serves as President/CEO at BookNet Canada, a non-profit organisation that develops technology, standards, and education to serve the Canadian book industry. In addition to her work at BookNet, Lauren serves as the Vice Chair of the Book and Periodical Council, and sits on Sheridan College's Professional Advisory Council for its Creative Writing and Publishing Program.

Dr Breanna Wright is the Co-Director of the Health and Social Portfolio at BehaviourWorks Australia, Monash University. BehaviourWorks is the largest academic behaviour change organisation in Australia, focusing on applied problems in government and NGO sectors. Breanna’s work centres on understanding the behavioural drivers and barriers to complex health and social challenges and developing targeted solutions. Breanna has also worked with Victorian and Federal government departments to develop communication strategies and mass media public awareness campaigns.

Simone Wright is a vibrant Human Resources professional with extensive experience in senior roles within the education sector. Today, she is the Chief Human Resources Officer for Victoria University, where she brings strategic leadership and a wealth of knowledge. Over the past 18 years, Simone has led HR teams in Australia and the Asia Pacific, managing global talent management practices and leading sales effectiveness. Her efforts have led to award-winning HR programs, including the acclaimed Pearson WELL initiative, recognised for its impact on wellbeing. In addition, Simone is actively involved in boards and charitable work, serving as a board member for HeartKids and was the only female board member at Pearson Australia Group from 2018 to 2021. Despite extensive travels, she keeps her country soul, living in Melbourne with her teenage daughter and two cats Foxie and Bridget.