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Audience: Corporate
David Astle
Author, Inspirational Speaker
Clue by clue, chapter by chapter, David Astle’s Puzzled meanders through the maze of a cryptic crossword, showing you the dark secrets and wondrous tricks of wordplay. ‘He’s the Sergeant Pepper of cryptic crosswords,’ says award-winning Australian actor Geoffrey Rush.
» Read more about David Astle
Tim Baker
Author, Journalist
Tim Baker is Australia’s favourite surfing writer, a former editor of Tracks and Surfing Life magazine, who has written a string of best-selling surfing biographies and collected surf stories. He has twice received the Australian Surfing Hall of Fame Culture Award and been shortlisted for the CUB Australian Sports Writing Awards.
» Read more about Tim Baker
Rachel Berger
Entertainer, Author, Inspirational Speaker
Rachel Berger is one of Australia’s most highly regarded, adept, and adaptive comedic talents, working variously as a broadcaster, comic, novelist, columnist, agitator and television entertainer. Rachel’s dynamic presence and engagingly sharp observations have made her an extremely popular performer both live and on television, across Australia and overseas.
» Read more about Rachel Berger
Lola Berry
Author, Inspirational Speaker, Entertainer
Lola Berry’s Inspiring Ingredients is a renown health and cook book aimed to inspire you to control weight, boost energy and love food.
» Read more about Lola Berry
Tony Birch
Author
Tony Birch is a writer of short fiction, novels and essays. He is also an educator and teacher of writing and history.
» Read more about Tony Birch
Dr Karen Brooks
Education Consultant, Social Commentator, Author
Described as ‘Australia’s best known academic’ by ABC radio and a ‘celebrity academic’ by other media, Karen lectures on the areas of youth, sexuality and popular culture using a psychoanalytical model. Karen has also worked as a professional actress, a children’s playwright, an Army Officer in the Royal Australian Army Survey Corp, a checkout-chick, an assessment clerk with the NRMA, a waitress, a dress-boutique manager, a theatre director, a wife (twice), and a mother (twice over too!).
» Read more about Dr Karen Brooks
Lauren Burns
Author, Inspirational Speaker
Lauren Burns OAM, Naturopath, Nutritionist, Herbalist (BHSc) Olympic Gold Medallist, Taekwondo Sydney 2000
Lauren Burns created sporting history by winning the first Olympic gold medal for Taekwondo when the sport made its debut at the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games. The nation watched as Lauren’s victory brought the Australian public and Olympic crowd to its feet. Before her Olympic win, few people knew that Lauren had been 12 times Australian Champion and had achieved a string of international titles including numerous medals at world championship level.
» Read more about Lauren Burns
Dr Leslie Cannold
Author, Inspirational Speaker, Social Commentator, Journalist
Dr Leslie Cannold is an author, commentator, ethicist and activist. Her books include the award-winning The Abortion Myth and What, No Baby? which made the Australian Financial Review’s top 101 books list. Her first novel, The Book of Rachael was published in 2011 by Text. Leslie is often noted as one of Australia’s leading thinkers. In 2005 she was listed alongside Professor Peter Singer, Professor Gustav Nossal and Inga Clendinnen as one of Australia’s top 20 public intellectuals. In 2011 she was named Australian Humanist of the Year.
» Read more about Dr Leslie Cannold
Jane Caro
Author, Social Commentator
Jane Caro is an author, novelist, award winning advertising writer and political/social commentator. She is a funny, warm and engaging speaker in high demand both on podiums and on radio and TV for her straight – talking style. She is passionate about connecting with people through words – whether spoken, written or broadcast and loves to tell a story.
» Read more about Jane Caro
Kathy Charles
Author
Kathy Charles is the author of the novel Hollywood Ending, a startling and timely tale of teenagers obsessed with dead celebrities.
» Read more about Kathy Charles
Helene Chung
Author, Journalist, Social Commentator
Helene Chung brings years of experience on live radio and television to captivate her audience. She is a fourth-generation Tasmanian Chinese, an adjunct research fellow at Monash Asia Institute, Melbourne, and the author of Shouting from China, Gentle John My Love My Loss, Lazy Man in China and Ching Chong China Girl: From fruitshop to foreign correspondent.
» Read more about Helene Chung
Danielle Clode
Author
Danielle Clode is a zoologist and natural history writer. She also teaches professional and creative writing.
» Read more about Danielle Clode
Gary Crew
Author
Gary Crew is one of Australia’s most awarded author of Children’s and Young Adult books, with titles like Angel’s Gate and the much celebrated The Watertower in his impressive catalogue. He began his career in engineering then moved on to teach English at high school before ultimately settling into a full-time writing with ongoing work lecturing at university.
» Read more about Gary Crew
Sophie Cunningham
Author, Social Commentator
Sophie Cunningham has worked in publishing for twenty years, most recently as the editor of Meanjin. She is the author of two novels, Geography (2004) and Bird (2008) as well as the non-fiction Melbourne.
» Read more about Sophie Cunningham
Li Cunxin
Author, Entertainer, Inspirational Speaker
Li Cunxin is a professional ballet dancer, stockbroker, and the author of Mao’s Last Dancer, which was adapted for film in 2009. The autobiography recounts his remarkable journey from rural China, to the US, the UK, and to Australia.
» Read more about Li Cunxin
Chris Daicos
Education Consultant, Personal Development, Social Commentator
As a trained social worker and teacher Chris Daicos has extensive experience in working directly with children and adolescents in schools. Chris can talk to welfare staff, teaching staff, and parents.
» Read more about Chris Daicos
Hanifa Deen
Author, Social Commentator
Hanifa Deen is an award-winning author and social commentator with extensive public speaking experience: Audiences around Australia, at writers’ festivals, conferences, seminars and debates have heard her speak on a range of topical and literary subjects. She ‘woos’ her audiences with humour and intelligence. Her aim is to inform and entertain.
» Read more about Hanifa Deen
Mary Delahunty
Author, Inspirational Speaker, Personal Development, Social Commentator
Mary is a writer, award winning ABC Journalist and former Education Minister. She is National Director of Writing Australia and Chair of Orchestra Victoria. She was the first female solo prime time TV newsreader in Victoria, and the first female Planning Minister in Victoria.
» Read more about Mary Delahunty
Mark Dobson
Author, Personal Development, Inspirational Speaker
Mark Dobson is a performance coach that advises some of the most elite athletes on the planet. He was a founding member of New York City’s first University for talented teenagers which was acknowledged by President Barack Obama for its educational innovation. He is a captivating and entertaining speaker that offers very strategic advice on performing at your best.
Mark will take expressions of interest for student welfare/development days with schools in Western Australia and other states in 2012.
» Read more about Mark Dobson
Sean Dooley
Author, Inspirational Speaker, Social Commentator, Entertainer
Sean Dooley is a Melbourne author who has worked as a television comedy writer. He is a contributor to The Age, ABC radio and 3RRR, writing and talking about birds, environmental issues, sport and, well, anything, really. But his greatest claim to fame is that in 2002 he broke the Australian birdwatching record for seeing the most species in the one year. He then wrote about it in The Big Twitch, thereby publicly outing himself as a bird-nerd.
» Read more about Sean Dooley
Declan Fay
Author, Storyteller/Performer, Inspirational Speaker, Journalist
Declan Fay is one of Australia’s leading comedy writers and motivational speakers. He has performed at the Comedy festival, The fringe Festival and written for some of the best (and worst) television shows. He has spoken at over 600 different schools around Australia. He has never been pelted with fruit, although his dad once threw a Whopper with cheese at him for talking during the Bill.
Declan will take expressions of interest for student welfare/development days with schools in Western Australia and other states in 2012.
» Read more about Declan Fay
Evelyn Field
Personal Development, Education Consultant, Social Commentator
Evelyn Field is an international expert in managing school and workplace bullying.
» Read more about Evelyn Field
Arabella Forge
Author, Personal Development
Arabella Forge is a Melbourne-based nutritionist, food writer and proud home-cook.
» Read more about Arabella Forge
Morris Gleitzman
Author
Morris is one of Australia’s most successful authors. He was born in England and emigrated to Australia in 1969 so he could escape from school and become a Very Famous Writer. Before realising that dream, he had a colourful career as a paperboy, department store Santa Claus and chicken defroster. Morris is the author of some of Australia’s favourite children’s books, including Two Weeks with the Queen, Boy Overboard, Once, Then, and Grace.
» Read more about Morris Gleitzman
Anna Goldsworthy
Author, Entertainer, Inspirational Speaker
Anna Goldsworthy is a prize-winning classical pianist and writer. She an engaging speaker and performer, and is passionate about bringing the lessons of classical music to the widest possible audience.
» Read more about Anna Goldsworthy
Tiffiny Hall
Author, Inspirational Speaker
Tiffiny Hall is a radiant role model. Author, journalist, human improver, Gladiator, Health Ninja, she is a woman with many titles tucked under her 5th Dan black belt. She has been empowering kids with her self-protection programs and messages of health and confidence in schools for ten years. A lifetime in martial arts as a competitor and instructor, she is best known for her role as ‘Angel’ on Gladiators, as the Health Ninja on Channel Ten’s The Circle and in 2011 you will see her training contestants on The Biggest Loser. The health hero is also a graduate of Melbourne University with Bachelor of Arts/Media and Communications and a Diploma of Modern Languages in French. Her school sessions empower her audience with fun and digestible messages to build self-esteem and confidence.
» Read more about Tiffiny Hall
Fiona Harris
Storyteller/Performer, Inspirational Speaker, Entertainer
Fiona Harris is one of Australia’s top female comedienne’s and writers, having written and performed on television comedy shows Skithouse, Comedy Inc, The Librarians, Flipside, as well as drama programs such as Tangle, Rush, Offspring and the telemovie, Beaconsfield.
Fiona is currently the head writer for the third series of popular children’s ABC television show, Prank Patrol, and has written for comedy music panel show Spicks and Specks. Fiona has also written and performed in numerous Melbourne International Comedy Festival shows, including Footy Chicks, which won the Moosehead award in 2003.
Fiona (right)
» Read more about Fiona Harris
Barry Heard
Author, Social Commentator, Personal Development, Inspirational Speaker
Barry Heard is Scribe Publication’s bestselling author. His first book, Well Done Those Men is used in over one hundred high schools throughout Australia in both History and English subject areas. Barry visits these schools to give talks on the book. Now claimed as a classic, the author has received over 100 000 emails and some 30 000 letters in response to the book. The book is essential reading in most Australian University History faculties.
Barry has been involved with fund raising for the Hope Foundation, the Fred Hollows Foundation, Books for Bhutan, and the Repatriation Hospital Heidelberg. His writing has garnered him the Weary Dunlop Award and the Sir Edmund Herring award, and he is a five time winner of the Veteran Community short story competition.
» Read more about Barry Heard
Dr Michael Hewitt-Gleeson
Personal Development, Education Consultant
Dr Michael Hewitt-Gleeson is the Principal of the School of Thinking (SOT). He is a former colleague of Edward de Bono and holds the world’s first PhD in Lateral Thinking. SOT is the longest running global program for the teaching of thinking skills.
» Read more about Dr Michael Hewitt-Gleeson
Kate Holden
Author, Inspirational Speaker
Kate Holden is the author of the best-selling In My Skin and a columnist for The Age. She speaks frankly and movingly of her time as a heroin addict and sex worker, talks of personal dignity and survival, and also speaks about her writing career as a memoirist and freelancer.
» Read more about Kate Holden
Sammy J
Storyteller/Performer, Entertainer, Inspirational Speaker
From Melbourne to Edinburgh, comedian Sammy J has earned a reputation as one of the most exciting and inventive performers on the international scene. You may have seen him on Spicks and Specks, Good News Week or Talkin’ Bout Your Generation and read his articles in The Age.
» Read more about Sammy J
Toni Jordan
Author
Toni Jordan’s debut novel, the international best-seller Addition, was published in 2008 and shortlisted for both the Barbara Jefferis award and the ABIA best general fiction book, longlisted for the Miles Franklin Literary Award and won best debut fiction in the 2008 Indie awards. Addition was published in 16 countries and has been optioned for film. Her second novel, Fall Girl, was published in November 2010 in Australia and will be published in 2011 in the UK, Germany, France and Taiwan.
» Read more about Toni Jordan
Tara June Winch
Author, Social Commentator
‘Tara June Winch is a most stimulating young person to know and to interact with, an active mind and a truly engaged social being.’ Professor Wole Soyinka, Nobel Laureate and UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador.
» Read more about Tara June Winch
Jason Kimberly
Author, Inspirational Speaker, Social Commentator
Cool Australia founder Jason Kimberly is an eco-warrior, globally renowned photographer, adventurer and founder of the online environmental resources, Cool Australia and Our Cool School.
» Read more about Jason Kimberly
Anneli Knight
Author, Personal Development, Inspirational Speaker, Social Commentator, Journalist
Anneli is a regular contributor to The Age and Sydney Morning Herald newspapers and is author of Flirting with Finance, the modern woman’s guide to financial freedom. She lives and writes between Melbourne, the Kimberley and Northern NSW.
» Read more about Anneli Knight
Tim Macartney-Snape
Inspirational Speaker
Australiaʼs most well known mountaineer is a veteran of pioneering routes in remote regions of the Himalaya but is best known for his attempts of Mount Everest on two very different, pioneering expeditions. Remarkably he reached the summit on both occasions, without the use of bottled oxygen and in a style and substance of a class way beyond the realm of guided ascents so popular in recent times.
» Read more about Tim Macartney-Snape
Shane Maloney
Author
Shane Maloney is a popular novelist. His books have been published in the US, Britain, Japan, Germany, France, Finland and Tasmania.
» Read more about Shane Maloney
John Marsden
Author
John Marsden is the author of titles including So Much to Tell You, Letters From the Inside, and the much celebrated Tomorrow series, adapted for film in 2010. From a childhood at a deeply conservative paramilitary school with strict standards and a culture of rugby and rowing, John developed a passion for reading, writing and education at an early age. So far has published fiction and non-fiction for children, young adults and adults and has founded the Candlebark School in Victoria.
» Read more about John Marsden
Matt McFadyen
Inspirational Speaker
From dragging sleds to the North Pole to sailing tiny yachts to Antarctica, Matt McFadyen has been there and done that. At the age of 29 Matt has spent the last decade pushing himself to his physical and mental limits while exploring some of the most remote parts of the globe.
» Read more about Matt McFadyen
Russell McGilton
Inspirational Speaker, Entertainer, Author
Russell McGilton is a writer, comic performer, avid cyclist and adventurer. He has written travel narratives for The Australian, The Age, Big Issue and is an award winning playwright.
» Read more about Russell McGilton
Esther McKay
Author
Esther Mckay has led an incredible life, from her work as a crime scene examiner in Sydney to best selling author. She is an advocate for Police suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and works actively to improve conditions for mental health in emergency workers. She speaks regularly about her experiences and is an Australia Day Ambassador.
» Read more about Esther McKay
Peter Meares
Author, Journalist
With forty years experience in sports media, Peter Meares is one of Queensland’s best-known sports commentators. He has published three books and has another two out later this year. A regular on ABC radio, he will be covering his fifth Commonwealth Games in Delhi in October, 2010.
» Read more about Peter Meares
Kirsty Murray
Author
Kirsty Murray is a multi award-winning author of fourteen books whose dynamic and inspiring presentations are guaranteed to send young people away itching to read more widely and to believe that they too can share their stories with the world.
Kirsty will tour schools in South Australia in August 2012
» Read more about Kirsty Murray
Patrick O'Neil
Author, Journalist
Patrick O’Neil is a 31-year-old travel writer, journalist, editor and author. His debut travel memoir, spanning six continents, was published by Penguin in 2009 and reprinted in 2010. In between overseas jaunts, he works editing news and writing headlines for The Age newspaper.
» Read more about Patrick O'Neil
Wendy Orr
Author
Wendy Orr has spoken to groups as little as 5 and as big as 5000 people across Australia, Canada and the USA. She is known for the honesty and inspirational qualities of her sessions.
» Read more about Wendy Orr
Dr Maria Pallotta-Chiarolli
Author, Personal Development, Education Consultant, Social Commentator
Dr Maria Pallotta-Chiarolli has gained national and international recognition as a writer, researcher, lecturer and consultant in the issues of cultural diversity, gender diversity, sexual diversity, family diversity, HIV/AIDS, and social diversity in health and education, with a specific focus on adolescence and young people. She is Honorary Patron of PFLAG Victoria; External Faculty Member of Saybrook University in San Francisco and Founding Member of AGMC (Australian GLBTIQ Multicultural Council), which has been recognised as a member of FECCA (Federation of Ethnic Communities Councils of Australia). Her first novel has recently won a 2010 US Lambda Literary Award
» Read more about Dr Maria Pallotta-Chiarolli
James Phelan
Author
James Phelan was born in 1979 and lives in Melbourne. He studied and worked in architecture, before turning to English literature. He graduated with a Master of Arts in writing, which he used to waste five good years at a newspaper. He first non-fiction book was published at age twenty-five and he has been a full-time novelist since 2006, and currently divides his time between writing the Lachlan Fox thriller series, and the Alone post-apocalyptic trilogy for Young Adults.
James will be featured in the 2012 Get Reading! program. He will tour nationally in August – lodge your expressions of interest with us now.
James will be available for Melbourne schools and libraries in Book Week (20-24 August) exclusively through Booked Out.
» Read more about James Phelan
Alice Pung
Author, Personal Development, Inspirational Speaker, Social Commentator, Curriculum Specialist
Alice Pung is a writer and lawyer who loves teaching. Alice’s books are studied in secondary schools and universities in Australia as well as the United States, and she has taught writing workshops to students from the ages of 8 to 80 in Australia, China and the States.
» Read more about Alice Pung
Dr Marcus Robertson
Inspirational Speaker, Personal Development
Marcus is a medical doctor and popular motivational speaker, who has addressed thousands of school children and a large number of businesses over the last ten years on a wide variety of health and personal welfare subjects.
As a high school and university student, Marcus was extremely successful at combining academic excellence with a high-profile sporting career. He was awarded an Australian student prize in Year 12 with a near-perfect ENTER score and subsequently graduated as Dux of Monash Medicine. Throughout these achievements, he trained as a competitive swimmer and represented Australia at the highest level.
» Read more about Dr Marcus Robertson
Andrew Rule
Author, Social Commentator, Journalist
Since starting on a country newspaper in 1975, Andrew Rule has worked on three metropolitan newspapers and in both radio and television production. He has written, co-written, edited and published many books, including the Underbelly true crime series and the Chopper series, which inspired the successful feature film. He hosts a regular fortnightly spot on Triple M’s Hot Breakfast called In The Rule World.
» Read more about Andrew Rule
Ellen Sandell
Social Commentator
Ellen Sandell is the Campaign Director of the Australian Youth Climate Coalition – an innovative climate change organisation that is also Australia’s largest youth organisation. In 2009, she was the Joint Environment Minister’s Young Environmentalist of the Year, won the Melbourne Awards for Individual Contribution to the Environment and was featured in The Age Melbourne Magazine as one of the top 100 influential Melburnians.
» Read more about Ellen Sandell
Trent Southworth
Personal Development, Social Commentator
Trent Southworth is a former NSW Police Officer with over fourteen years policing experience, including eight years employed in the Youth Liaison role. In his role, Trent worked closely with numerous government and non government agencies to identify youth related initiatives such as underage drinking programs, truancy, road safety, drug programs, and bullying.
He assisted in the implementation and monitoring of the State Governments Young Offenders Act, which targets all young offenders aged between 10 and 18 years of age. Through his experience in the NSW Police, Trent witnessed first-hand the importance of ongoing education of young people in today’s society.
Since leaving the Police, Trent has developed and facilitated numerous seminars for students, teachers, parents and community groups Australia-wide.
» Read more about Trent Southworth
Anne E. Stewart
Storyteller/Performer
Anne E Stewart is an acclaimed storyteller with an international reputation. A versatile performer Anne has the energy and voice to engage any audience. Her focus is on the shared stories of Australia honouring Indigenous, Celtic, Asian and World stories.
» Read more about Anne E. Stewart
Shaun Tan
Author, Illustrator
After completing a Fine Arts degree in Literature, Shaun’s focus on illustration has taken him to the science-fiction genre, political cartooning and picture books. Shaun’s work with writers like John Marsden and Gary Crew, along with writing of his own, has established him as a progressive of contemporary picture books.
» Read more about Shaun Tan
John Tesarsch
Author
John is currently a solicitor, and before that was a barrister. Before that, he was a musician, and as a cellist was a part-time member of the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, as well as the Vienna Bach Soloists and Haydn Sinfonietta. (He’s also worked as a Berlitz teacher, a warehouseman and a fertiliser salesman.) So when he came to publish his first novel, The Philanthropist with Sleepers Publishing in late 2010, it’s no wonder many reviewers described him as a Renaissance man of many talents, and rare insight. John draws on his work outside writing: he is fascinated (and he argues, due to his work in the legal profession) by the profound effect that even a momentary indiscretion can have on a person’s life.
» Read more about John Tesarsch
Tammy van Wisse
Inspirational Speaker
Marathon swimmer, Tammy van Wisse currently holds five World Records. She has swum the English Channel twice (the success rate is only seven percent), is the only person to have swum Bass Strait and spent three and a half months submerged in the mighty Murray River – just to mention a few of her milestones.
» Read more about Tammy van Wisse
Erin Vincent
Author, Inspirational Speaker, Personal Development
Erin Vincent is a highly respected journalist who has worked both here and in the US for publications such as The Australian, Marie Claire, The Sunday Telegraph and America’s biggest selling publication People Magazine. She is also the author of the acclaimed memoir Grief Girl: My True Story that is now in its seventh printing in the US and was named a New York Public Library’s Best Book for 2007.
» Read more about Erin Vincent
Tony Wilson
Author, Entertainer, Inspirational Speaker
Tony Wilson has written two hilarious satirical novels about celebrity and tabloid media. He is also the author of five picture books, and has worked successfully on television (Race Around the World and Santo, Sam and Ed’s Cup Fever!), radio (Triple R’s Breakfasters) and print media (The Age and The Monthly).
» Read more about Tony Wilson
Steve Biddulph
Personal Development, Education Consultant, Social Commentator, Author
Psychologist Steve Biddulph realised that males were in crisis at a time when it was fashionable to ignore their needs. He blitzed schools and communities around the globe with engaging, practical and moving seminars, facilitating a cultural shift which is still in motion. His parenting books, including Raising Boys and Manhood, are now in four million homes and twenty seven languages.
» Read more about Steve BiddulphAudiences
Location
Tasmania