Story Hunter Guide

Jacqui Wright is a teacher and writer who is a passionate believer in the power of stories to connect, inform, heal and empower individuals, groups, communities and nations. Jacqui’s first novel, Red Dirt Talking, won the City of Fremantle TAG Hungerford Award and was longlisted for the 2013 Miles Franklin Literary Award. Since then, her stories, plays and articles have been published by Radio National, ABC News, Griffith Review, Fairfax, Westerly and more. Jacqui’s work at ABC Kimberley has shown that there is more than one way to tell a story. Putting words together in all kinds of ways – writing, drawing, speaking and recording via digital technologies – will never lose its magic!

Malini Stephen is a teacher and emerging writer, passionate about all things reading and writing. Malini has previously lived in Darwin and now resides in Newcastle, where she is working on two novels that explore themes of family, cultural identity, and connection to place. She has recently completed a novel writing course at the Australian Writers Centre. Malini believes creativity is important for developing young minds to expand their imagination, and she works to support others with the skills to explore their ideas, create new worlds and make sense of this one.

Cath Owen is a primary school teacher and emerging writer who is lucky enough to live in beautiful Port Stephens on Worimi land. She has always loved stories in all forms, whether reading them, writing them or seeing them performed. She is a strong supporter of public education and is thrilled to be able to share her passion for stories and to help students in the Hunter region to develop their own voices. She was a 2024 recipient of a Varuna Residential Fellowship, where she continued her work in middle grade fiction. Her manuscript for The Christmas Cult received the Whitsundays Literary Heart Award for Best Unpublished Manuscript. In her spare time, Cath loves to read, write, sing and to enjoy the natural beauty of Port Stephens with her kids.

Karen Eastwood is a storyteller, writer, podcast host and educator. She is the author of The Luck of the Draw, the memoirs of Vietnam War veteran Allen May. Karen has worked on Newcastle Library’s early literacy programs including Stories Come Alive (formerly known as The Wacky Wombat Show), as well as the annual Book Week Show and is the host of several of their podcast series. She has facilitated storytelling and creative writing programs for all ages under the umbrella of Story Spot, where she collaborates with other Newcastle creatives such as Curious Legends, Sketch It Live and the Newcastle Museum. Her mission is to help people have fun building connections through the sharing of stories. She especially enjoys helping children discover how to use the magic and power of words to convey their own unique perspectives and stories.

Nina Cullen is a Newcastle based writer and teacher. Her short fiction has been featured in publications such as The Australian Book Review, Big Issue Fiction Edition, Island, Sleepers Almanac, Island, Meniscus and Taste: Fresh New Writing. Her journalism and social commentary have appeared in publications such as the Sydney Morning Herald, The Guardian, The Australian, Good Food and Sunday Life, and her essay and memoir pieces have been used by the International Museum of Women, San Francisco and the ABC. Nina has been the recipient of several awards and grants including The Australian Review of Books Young Writer of the Year, the Marian Eldridge Award and ICI Young Playwrights Award. She has taught English language and literacy for over 13 years in Australia and Timor-Leste and prior to joining the Story Hunter team in Newcastle she was a creative writing tutor with Story Factory.

Jess Black is an award-winning author of more than fifty children’s books. Her many successes include The Tales of Mr Walker series, two of which were listed as CBCA notable books. She has also written numerous popular series including Keeper of the Crystals, Kitty is Not a Cat, Pepper Creek Ponies and Little Paws. She is co-author of the hugely successful Bindi Wildlife Adventure series, the Kaboom Kid series and the Animal Tales series. Jess regularly teaches creative writing in schools and runs holiday workshops, as well as professional development for teachers. She lives in Newcastle with her two daughters, husband and slightly batty cat and dog.