About the panelists

Amal Awad is a writer, director and performer. As a journalist, she has contributed to such publications as The Guardian, The Sydney Morning Herald, ELLE, Meanjin and Frankie, and has produced and presented for ABC Radio National. Amal is the author of eight books, which include both fiction and non-fiction titles. Her new novel, Bitter & Sweet, is out now.

Simone Amelia Jordan is Australia’s most successful hip-hop journalist, with a career spanning print, radio, TV and digital media. At twenty-three, she founded Urban Hitz, the country’s highest-selling rap and R&B publication. Later, in New York City, she served as the content director of The Source, the iconic ‘Hip-Hop Bible’ that inspired her reporting and social consciousness. A passionate advocate for equity and inclusion, Simone fosters the development of emerging talent at Media Diversity Australia and Diversity Arts Australia. She also mentors young women through her boutique agency, Higher Ground. Tell Her She’s Dreamin’, the 2021 Richell Prize winner, is her first book.