Sydney Writers' Festival: The Kids Are Alright

Matilda Boseley and Jack Toohey are experts in distilling complex issues into compelling digital content.

Matilda is a TikTok star and award-winning presenter for Guardian Australia who recently released The ADHD Brain Buddy, a workbook for adults with ADHD and a follow-up to The Year I Met My Brain. Jack hit the spotlight in 2023 when his video about housing affordability went viral. His debut book Better Things Are Possible is a timely manifesto for getting involved in political and social progress.

Join Matilda and Jack as they chat about some of the hot topics trending on our pages and screens today. With Amy Thunig-McGregor.

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ABOUT THE SPEAKERS:

MATILDA BOSELEY is an award-winning social media reporter and presenter for Guardian Australia. She has spearheaded the publication's popular TikTok channel, creating short-form explainers that won her a Quill Award for Innovation in Journalism and earned multiple Walkley Award nominations. Through her reporting, Matilda strives to help young people understand the world around them - particularly the political systems that shape their lives. Drawing from her own ADHD diagnosis at 23, she champions greater awareness and support for adults with ADHD.

JACK TOOHEY is a Sydney-based writer and creative director focused on systems literacy, social inequality, and climate justice. Previously a creative agency founder, he redirected his skills towards distilling complex issues into clear, compelling content-rising to prominence in 2023 with a viral video examining housing affordability. In 2025, he released his debut non-fiction Better Things Are Possible, which explores the interconnectedness of climate, housing, gender issues, and mental health, and served as creative lead on Teach Us Consent's Promoting Consent Initiative.

DR AMY THUNIG-MCGREGOR is a Kamilaroi/Gomeroi author and Research Fellow within Jumbunna Institute for Indigenous Education and Research at the University of Technology Sydney. A Director at Story Factory, Amy contributes on various councils including the AECG, has delivered a TEDx talk, and had the pleasure of co-curating the 2023 All About Women Festival and the 2024 Sydney Writer’s Festival. An occasional media commentator and panellist, Amy has recently completed the second season of their podcast ‘Blacademia’.

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