Christos Tsiolkas is the author of eight novels, including Loaded, which was made into the feature film Head-On, The Jesus Man and Dead Europe, which won the 2006 Age Fiction Prize and was made into a feature film. His fourth novel, the international bestseller The Slap, won Overall Best Book in the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize 2009, and the 2009 Australian Booksellers Association and Australian Book Industry Awards Book of the Year. Christos’s fifth novel, Barracuda, was shortlisted for the ALS Gold Medal and the inaugural Voss Literary Prize. The Slap and Barracuda were both adapted into celebrated television series.

His sixth novel, Damascus, won the 2019 Victorian Premier’s Literary Award for Fiction. 7½ was published in 2021, when Christos won the Melbourne Prize for Literature. Christos is also a playwright, essayist and screen writer.

Dan’s plays for families, young people and adults have been produced across Australia in theatres, school halls, parks, tents and even a barn outside of Hobart.

His plays include Feathers, The Great Un-Wondering of Wilbur Whittaker, SLAP. BANG. KISS., HOUSE, Mad as a Cute Snake and Cut Snake (both with Amelia Chandos Evans), Air Race, Bambert’s Book of Lost Stories, Jurassica, and two adaptations of Christos Tsiolkas’ writing, Merciless Gods and Loaded.

His first picture book, HOUSE (named after his play of the same name) is available now through Fremantle Press.

He has won three Green Room Association awards, a Helpmann Award, an AWGIE, and twice been shortlisted for the Victorian Premier’s Literary Awards. He was an inaugural writer in residence at Melbourne Theatre Company as part of the NEXT STAGE program, and has worked with companies including MTC, Barking Gecko, Malthouse, Arena, Terrapin and Red Stitch.

Dan lives on Wurundjeri country in Melbourne with his husband and daughter.

Carla Lippis (AKA ‘The Satanic Liza Minelli’) is an award-winning singer and composer known for intense performances that range from the emotional vulnerability of the torch song to the screaming rage of avant rock. Carla helms the art rock band Mondo Psycho, who have performed at Dark Mofo, Darwin Festival and Womadelaide. Her theatrical work includes composing the score and performing in Restless Dance Theatre’s Ruby award-winning production ‘Private View’, and Windmill Theatre’s ‘Rella.’ She performs alongside The Superjesus’ Sarah Macleod and Jedediah’s Kevin Mitchell in the hit rock show ‘The 27 Club.’ Her international touring resume features concerts supporting Calexico, Kiss, Mötley Crüe and Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, and recording collaborations with M Ward & Marc Ribot. In 2025 she is serving as Musical Director for Brink Theatre’s in-development production of ‘Love Don’t Live Here Any More.’

Geoffrey is a Glasgow-born composer, guitarist and sound engineer. He composed the score and created sound design for Restless Dance Theatre’s ‘Private View’. He is the guitarist, producer and composer in the art rock band Mondo Psycho. He has served as musical director for Carla Lippis across various cabaret productions including ‘Cast A Dark Shadow’, ‘Dark Ritual’, ‘Midnight Marauders’ and ‘La Soiree’. His film and television sound credits include ‘Percy Jackson & The Olympians’, ‘Jack Ryan’, ‘Talk To Me’ and ‘Housekeeping For Beginners’. His live production work as front of house mixer includes Bohm Productions’ ‘My Therapist Ghosted Me’, Rob Brydon’s ‘Songs and Stories’, ‘La Voix Meets Joanna Lumley’, and ‘Cafe De Paris – Disco 54.’