Chair
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Emma Batchelor is a writer and author from Canberra with extensive experience in financial management, community engagement and operations. In May, 2021 her first novel Now that I see you won the Australian/Vogel Literary Award. From 2016-2019 she edited and wrote for online publication Leiden, and in 2017 published Building a Conscious Wardrobe (and other fun things) a book championing conscious consumerism.

Emma holds a Bachelor of Medical Science (Hons) from the Australian National University and has a professional background in corporate responsibility.

Emma is a member of the Minister’s Creative Council, a mentor for the Audrey Fagan Board Traineeship program and an ambassador of the ACT Chief Minister’s Reading Challenge.

Deputy Chair
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After studying English literature, phonetics and linguistics at the Belgrade University of Philology, Katarina moved to Australia in the early 90’s with a well-established interest and passion for Literature. Having come from a bookselling background with her grandfather establishing bookshops in Belgrade in the 1930’s, she has been an active member of the Canberra literary community since her arrival to the Capital in the early 90’s.

Katarina helped develop and subsequently owned Electric Shadows Bookshop over a period of 25 years and has been a strong advocate in supporting the Arts in Canberra with a focus on local authors and independent publishers. Since March 2019, Katarina has been appointed Literary Events Coordinator for the new Harry Hartog Bookshop at the ANU.

Secretary
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Chris Huet is a communications coach, working through his company Understood to help people become better communicators. He served twenty years in the Air Force as a fighter instructor, leader and project manager. After leaving the Air Force, Chris worked as a consultant and business development manager for Defence, other government agencies and private companies.

Chris is also a spoken word poet, performing as CJ Bowerbird on stages across Australia and around the world. He is the 2012 Australian Poetry Slam Champion and a two-time TEDx speaker. Chris has extensive experience working with not-for-profit boards and committees, particularly in partnership and sponsorship management.

Treasurer
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Born and bred in Canberra, Charles has worked across all areas of the nation's capital. Accounting is where he came back to, following in his father's footsteps.

Charles has worked in all areas in Accounting from Disclosure and Compliance for the Australian Electoral Commission, Trades and Construction and continues to work directly with the Young Music Society as the business manager. He manages his own bookkeeping business.

While sport is his main hobby and passion, working with the Young Music Society over the past 6 years has given him an understanding and appreciation of the arts and the joys it can bring to everyone.

Board member
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Samantha Faulkner is a Torres Strait Islander and Aboriginal woman, from Badu and Moa Islands in the Torres Strait and the Yadhaigana and Wuthathi peoples of Cape York Peninsula, Queensland. Her poetry and short stories have been published nationally and internationally, and she is the proud author of Life B’long Ali Drummond: A Life in the Torres Strait (Aboriginal Studies Press, July 2007) and editor of Pamle: Torres Strait Islanders in Canberra (2018). She is a member of the ACT Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Arts Network and the treasurer of First Nations Australia Writers Network and Us Mob Writing Group. In 2023, she was the Torres Strait Islander curator for the Brisbane Writers Festival.

Samantha is editor of new release Growing Up Torres Strait Islander in Australia: A Groundbreaking Collection of Torres Strait Islander Voices, Past and Present (Black Inc.)

Board member
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Zoya Patel is the author of No Country Woman, a memoir of race, religion and feminism. She is co-host of The Guardian's Book It In podcast, and the Margin Notes podcast alongside Yen Eriksen. Zoya is a columnist for the RiotACT, and regular books critic and writer for The Guardian, Canberra Times, SBS Voices, Refinery29 and more.

Zoya has won numerous awards for her writing and editing, and she was a 2020 judge for the Stella Prize and Chair of the 2021 Stella Prize judging panel. Patel was also a Judge in the NSW Premier's Literary Awards in 2022

Board member
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Jacqueline is an international award-winning author, creative coach and the recipient of the 2017 ACT Writers Anne Edgeworth Fellowship. Her books have been recognised for several awards, including winning the travel category of the 2020 American Book Excellence Awards and being shortlisted for the Speech Pathology Australia Book Awards in 2017 and 2019.

Jacqueline regularly contributes to a variety of online platforms and has appeared at several literary events, including the Canberra Writers Festival, the NSW Kids & YA Festival, Goulburn Reader Writer Festival and the Noted Writers Festival. She has been a mentor to adults and children alike, encouraging them to pursue their creative goals.

She holds a Masters in International Development and works in international affairs. Through her writing, Jacqueline endeavours to encourage her readers to learn more about the world, supporting an empathetic and inclusive community.

Board member
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As an isolated rural child doing correspondence, reading was Deb’s entree into the world. A part time job with the former Mary Martins chain seduced her into the book trade. Working in various bookshops including owning one, lead to work as an independent sales agent representing Allen & Unwin and other publishers in the ACT and SE NSW.

Over the eighteen years she worked with publishers, booksellers, authors and readers she developed a deep passion for Australian writing and publishing. Her primary focus is being a supporter of local writers and encouraging connections between them, booksellers and readers.