The Authors' Studio – Exploring the Art of Storytelling

Sunday 11 February

10am AEST

Embark on a literary journey with some of Queensland's most acclaimed authors – gleaning insights from Queensland literary legends Nick Earls, Mathew Condon, Shastra Deo, and Ben Hobson – as they come together for a dynamic conversation that explores the craft of storytelling. Discover the inspiration behind their novels and delve into the intricacies of character development. You’ll gain valuable insights into the creative process that brings their stories to life, as they share anecdotes, discuss their writing journeys, and provide a glimpse into their past and upcoming works.

This is a rare opportunity to connect with the minds behind books that have captured the hearts of readers far and wide in a celebration of Queensland's rich literary landscape.

Featuring

Shastra Deo

Shastra Deo was born in Fiji, raised in Melbourne, and lives in Brisbane. She holds a Bachelor of Creative Arts in Writing and English Literature; First Class Honours and a University Medal in Creative Writing; a Master of Arts in Writing, Editing and Publishing; and a Doctor of Philosophy in Creative Writing from The University of Queensland. Her first book, The Agonist (UQP 2017), won the 2016 Arts Queensland Thomas Shapcott Poetry Prize and the 2018 Australian Literature Society Gold Medal. Her second book, The Exclusion Zone (UQP 2023), is out now. You can find her online @shastradeo or at www.shastradeo.com.

Mathew Condon

MATTHEW CONDON has been a journalist for more than 30 years, and for more than a decade has been investigating crime and corruption in Queensland. He interviewed disgraced former Queensland Police Commissioner Terry Lewis for over three years and had exclusive access to Lewis’ private papers. That research became Condon’s bestselling true crime trilogy – Three Crooked Kings, Jacks and Jokers and All Fall Down. Most recently he has been investigating the fatal Whiskey Au Go Go nightclub firebombing in Brisbane in 1973. His book on the subject is The Night Dragon. In 2020 he released a true crime podcast – Ghost Gate Road – which went to #1 on both the Australian and New Zealand Apple podcast charts. His other podcasts include Dig – Sirens are Coming, and he has co-hosted others including The Teacher’s Trial. He is the author of several award-winning novels and short story collections. In 2019 he was awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia for services to the community. He is currently a senior writer for the Weekend Australian Magazine.

Nick Earls

Nick Earls is the author of 28 books, including bestselling novels such as Zigzag Street, Bachelor Kisses and Perfect Skin. His writing has won awards in Australia, the UK and US. Five of his novels have been adapted for theatre and two, 48 Shades of Brown and Perfect Skin, have become feature films.

Ben Hobson

Ben Hobson is a teacher, and an author, based in Brisbane. To Become a Whale, his debut novel, was released in 2017. It was longlisted for the ABIA Debut Fiction award and shortlisted for the Courier-Mail's People's Choice Award. His second novel, Snake Island, a literary thriller, was released in 2019. He also runs Ben's Book Club, a monthly online book club for libraries, and often does in-person interviews with authors. The Death of John Lacey, an Australian Western, was released in 2023, and is his third novel.