The bio of our authors are in alphabetical order by first name A – G with links to their stories. In Part 1 meet: Annie Mullarvy, Bianca Nedin, Carmel Alakus, Darren C Fisher, Eve Stephenson, Ezra Hooper, and Gabriella Gomersall Hubbard.

More author bio’s to come!

Annie Mullarvey

Annie is in her mid-60s and cannot imagine living anywhere other than the Municipality of Merri-bek.  She spent her childhood in Glenroy and now lives way up the other end in East Brunswick. 

Over the years, she has worked as an inner urban community worker, a mental health social worker for Merri Community Health, and later for another local organization as counsellor/advocate for refugees and asylum seekers.  She even married a teacher from Moreland High (now defunct), and they raised a family together in Brunswick.

She is passionate about social justice and human rights, and her short stories often reflect this. Annie has recently completed her first fiction novel, ‘No Fences for Joyce.’  The story follows Joyce O’Connor, a young woman rescuing her children and fleeing an abusive and alcoholic husband in Yarrawonga during the 1960s. They eventually settle in Broadmeadows where Joyce is hired by ‘Fenton’s Electronics’ (no relation to the Ericsson company), initially as a factory hand. There she meets her lifelong friends, Rosa from Italy and Maureen from Liverpool, England.  Joyce and her companions are horrified by the frequency at which their female co-workers are developing repetitive strain type injuries due to the unrealistic work practices set by management.  Joyce eventually becomes a shop steward with their union and helps to stage a successful lunchtime rally from the roof of the canteen. Later in the novel, Joyce reconnects with her old school friend, Suzi, and together they help to establish a women’s refuge in Yarrawonga. 

Annie’s dream is to somehow convert this novel into a community play.  To see it travel between Melbourne and Yarrawonga someday, helping to spread awareness about gender-fueled violence, is her idea of pretty darn special. 

Read Annie’s stories

KABOOM IN BRUNSWICK 

TIME TO SHAKE THE FAMILY TREE – A FEW ROTTEN ANCESTORS IN THE BRANCHES

OLD HIPPIE MUMS

VENICE AND DINA

Bianca Nedin

Bianca Nedin (she/her) is an Australian writer based in Naarm. She is currently undertaking her Bachelor of Creative Writing at RMIT. She dabbles in poetry that discusses family and life and is currently working on her debut fantasy novel. You can read more of her work on her Substack: https://substack.com/@biancanedin 

The Exorcist

Carmel Alakus

Meet Carmel through her writing.

Farm Accident – Mum caught in a spindle 1953

Cheryl Wilson 

Writing stories may be a way of life or as an escape from real life. I enjoy inventing characters and placing them in surroundings once familiar to me – especially our inner northern suburbs during the seventies. I also write shorter pieces about real people who are closer to my heart.

Heart Beats – Chapter One

Heartbeats – Chapter Two

Darren Coming Home – 2001

Darren C Fisher

Self-taught in drawing and comics, Dr. Darren C Fisher pursued a deeper level of knowledge via undergraduate studies in animation, followed by an honours year studying the sequential art medium. In his doctoral studies, Darren created over 1000 pages of autobiographical comic narratives, exploring visual approaches and narrative scopes. Over ten years of teaching in higher education, working with creative and interdisciplinary teams, and supervising student projects has only strengthened his enthusiasm for visual narratives. Fisher’s emerging research profile was formally recognised in 2019 as a ‘Top 5’ humanities and social sciences scholar. This opportunity led to multiple outcomes, including the autobiographical explainer comic Kicked Out During Coronavirus. A successful example of visual narrative and public outreach, it was read almost 100 thousand times in its first month and attained the highest possible ranking by the national research evaluation framework, Excellence in Research for Australia.

Kicked Out During Coronavirus

Eve Stephenson

Lover of people and their stories; mother of wild creatures; and writer of weirdly wonderful tales.

Brisbane, Queensland.

Instagram @evielou81

The Real Tortured Poets Department

Ezra Hooper

Ezra Hooper is a student at RMIT studying a BA in Creative Writing. He writes short stories as well as long-form pieces. He enjoys delving into the genres of realism, high fantasy and dystopian sci-fi. One of Ezra’s favourite writers is Margaret Atwood. 

An Anthology

Gabriella Gomersall Hubbard

Gabriella Gomersall Hubbard is a teacher, writer and artist. Gabriella was born in Rome, she moved to Melbourne in 1976. She worked as a NAATI Interpreter, teacher and journalist.  In 2007 she was awarded the Victorian Multicultural Award for excellence in Journalism. She is the author of “Growing Honest Food” published by Hyland House. While living in the Geelong area she founded “La Piazzetta” a monthly magazine in the Italian language. She loves travelling, history, gardening, theatre and art.

Tomatoes for my father

Greg Gibson

In my working life as a Draftsman: Commercial kitchen consultants and building supervisor. I have 3 wonderful children and enjoy a close relationship with my siblings and families. Love reading. At present “more please”, an incredible biography of Barry Humphries. More in tune with factual rather than fiction. Hence the love of biographies. Happily retired and currently living in Warracknabeal ( birthplace of my father).

Encounter with a Killer

Meet our other authors

Meet Our Authors – Part 2

Meet Our Authors – Part 3