ML is a multi-award winning Bundjalung novelist from Brisbane. She is a Walkley Award winner for her non-fiction writing and a founding member of human rights group Sisters Inside.
Debra Keenahan is an artist, psychologist and author. She has exhibited in group and solo exhibitions and sole and co-authored a book, book chapters and articles. Her work focusses upon the personal and social impacts of dis-ability. Having achondroplasia dwarfism, Debra brings personal insight to un-derstanding the dynamics of interpersonal interactions that include/exclude the visibly different from equitable social relations. Her work employs different mediums to communicate with and engage people on difficult issues. By pre-senting alternative perspectives and experimenting with point of view, Debra’s work aims to immerse people into the lived experiences of the socially ex-cluded so as to gain insight, understanding and empathy for human condi-tions that are not readily emulated.
Lizzy Hoo is many things – a comedian, presenter, writer, noodle enthusiast, designer, ideas lady, actor, rugby lover, and rescue greyhound owner.
Lizzy first tried stand-up in 2017, originally as a way to gain more self-confidence. It went pretty well – She quickly found herself an NSW State Finalist in the national RAW Comedy competition. The very next year she was invited to perform at the Just For Laughs Festival at the Sydney Opera House.
She was thankfully dealt a dose of humility as she was booed off stage by a 12-year-old niece at that year’s Hoo Family Christmas Talent Show. Brutal.
Her 2019 debut stand-up show Hoo Am I? (What’s My Name?) saw Lizzy introduce herself to the world, discussing her Chinese Malaysian/Irish Australian mixed-race heritage, and most notably her one-of-a-kind father (and premier Brisbane ukulele personality) Chan.
Lizzy is a master of mining her life and her family into material that leaves audiences left wanting more. This hilarious, self-assured, observational-style has resonated with comedy-goers around the world, with Lizzy’s stand-up clips garnering millions of views online.
In the last few years, Lizzy has performed with Denise Scott, Cal Wilson and Geraldine Hickey for the fittingly named Chicksal 500 at the Adelaide Fringe, supported Tom Gleeson at the Sydney Opera House and performed at the prestigious 2021 & 2022 Melbourne International Comedy Festival Gala.
In 2021, she packed houses across the country for her sell-out festival show Hoo Dis?, receiving rave reviews and putting on a rather ridiculous number of extra shows to meet demand.
She has not slowed down in 2022, with her latest show Hoo Cares? being a breakout of the Melbourne, Brisbane and Sydney Comedy Festivals.
Lizzy has appeared on The Project and The Cook Up with Adam Liaw, and has been a presenter and contributor for websites such as SBS Voices & ABC Life.
Sisonke Msimang is an experienced public speaker and storyteller, and the author of Always Another Country: A memoir of exile and home (2017) and The Resurrection of Winnie Mandela (2018). Sisonke’s work is focussed on race, gender and democracy. She has written for a range of international publications including the New York Times, the Washington Post, The Guardian, Newsweek, Bloomberg, and Al Jazeera. Sisonke has held fellowships at Yale University, the Aspen Institute and the Bellagio Centre. She is currently a fellow at the WISER Institute, at the University of the Witswatersrand.
Sisonke is represented by Isobel Dixon at Blake Friedmann Literary Agency. To book her for speaking engagements in Australia please contact Speaking Out Agency and to talk to her about consulting work, special projects and curatorial assignments, feel free to contact her using the web form on this site.
Wesley Enoch has written and directed iconic Indigenous productions THE 7 STAGES OF GRIEVING, BLACK MEDEA and THE STORY OF THE MIRACLES AT COOKIE’S TABLE. He has directed productions of THE SAPPHIRES, BLACK DIGGERS, I AM EORA, THE MAN FROM MUKINUPIN, YIBIYUNG, PARRAMATTA GIRLS, BLACK COCKATOO and APPROPRIATE. He was the Artistic Director of the Sydney Festival from 2017 to 2020 and was previously the Artistic Director at Kooemba Jdarra Indigenous Performing Arts and the Ilbijerri Aboriginal Torres Strait Islander Theatre Co-operative. Wesley’s other residencies include Resident Director at Sydney Theatre Company; Associate Artistic Director at Belvoir Street Theatre; the 2002 Australia Council Cite Internationale des Arts Residency in Paris and the Australia Council Artistic Director for the Australian Delegation to the 2008 Festival of Pacific Arts. He was creative consultant, segment director and indigenous consultant for the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games. Wesley is currently serving as the QUT Indigenous Chair of Creative Industries.
Image credit: Cassandra Hannagan.
