Flight of Fantasy: Author Panel

Name: Flight of Fantasy: Author Panel
Start: 2024-10-06T15:00:00+08:00
End: 2024-10-06T16:30:00+08:00
Location: AH Bracks Library + Creative Space

Schedule

Sun Oct 06 2024 at 03:00 pm to 04:30 pm

UTC+08:00

Location

AH Bracks Library + Creative Space | Perth, WA

Fantasy fiction is fast becoming a dominant culture on our television screens, with adaptations of Game of Thrones, Lord of the Rings and The Witcher all garnering huge audiences in the last couple of years. Why is it, then, that reading fantasy is considered by some to be a niche interest? What does it take to launch an epic fantasy series in Australia? And just how hard is it to get your speculative fiction published?
Authors Juliet Marillier, Brendan Ritchie and Madeline Te Whiu will delve deep into the world of fantasy and speculative fiction with expert fantasy fan Jess Gately in order to find out.

About the Panelists:
Jess Gately
Jess Gately is a Perth-based freelance editor and publishing professional specialising in speculative fiction. She has been a judge of the Aurealis Awards since 2019, is a reviewer for The AU Review, and sits on the boards of Writing WA and Night Parrot Press. Jess's masters thesis looked at the editorial approach to fictional languages in speculative fiction and she has presented workshops and training on the topics of world building, writing speculative fiction, and editing.

Madeline Te Whiu
Madeline Te Whiu is a debut dark fantasy author who has published her series The Soul Thief Trilogy with Australian publisher New Dawn Publishing.
Madeline is a veterinary nurse residing Perth, Western Australia along with her husband, dog, two cats and small flock of chickens. Her passion for books began when she was growing up in rural South Australia. Some of her favourite authors include CL Wilson, Peter V Brett, and Kristin Cashore.

Brendan Ritchie
Brendan Ritchie is a novelist and academic from the south coast of WA. He is the winner of the 2022 Dorothy Hewett Award for an unpublished manuscript and author of novels including Carousel (2015), Beyond Carousel (2016) and Eta Draconis (2023). Brendan has a PhD in Creative Writing and has also published poetry and non-fiction in several notable journals and collections. In 2024 Brendan received a Project Grant with Regional Arts WA to support the development of a fourth novel. He lives on Wadandi land with his wife and two young daughters.

Juliet Marillier
Juliet Marillier was born and raised in Aotearoa New Zealand, and now lives in a 120-year-old house in Guildford. Her historical fantasy novels and short stories are published internationally and have won numerous awards. She is the author of twenty-four novels and two collections of short fiction. Juliet loves mythology, folklore and strong, complex characters.
Juliet is currently working on a two-book adult fantasy series to be published in 2025-26 by WA publisher New Dawn. The series features a protagonist who has an unusual bond with nature, but finds her fellow human beings much harder to connect with. The story includes an unusual dog, some owls, and a fight to stop the destruction of an ancient forest. Also, warrior monks.
Juliet has a degree in music and worked for years in that field, followed by more years as a public servant. These days she is a full time writer, and also looks after elderly and/or infirm rescue dogs. She currently has an emotional support team of two small canines. Juliet also enjoys singing in her local choir.