Cathie Dunsford has taught literature at Auckland University, was Fulbright Post-Doctoral Research Scholar at the University of Berkeley from 1984 to 1986 and has directed three New Zealand Writers’ Conferences. She is the director of Dunsford Publishing Consultants which assesses, edits and sells feminist and general texts from the Pacific to the publishing industry globally.

Her novels include Cowrie (1994), The Journey Home (1997), Manawa Toa: Heart Warrior (2000), Song of the Selkies (2001) and Ao Toa: Earth Warrior (2004). She is also co-editor of Car Maintenance, Explosives and Love and other Lesbian Writings (1997). Her books have been translated into German and Turkish. Her own writing has appeared in publications in the USA, Canada, England, Australia and New Zealand. A bilingual collection of her poetry, Survivors: Uberlebende was published by the University of Osnabrück Press, Germany in 1990. She has edited many collections of writing, including the New Women’s Fiction Series. Her latest anthology, Me and Marilyn Monroe, published by Daphne Brasell Associates Press (NZ) challenges the war against women’s bodies through fiction.

Susan Hawthorne is a poet, novelist, aerialist, political activist and publisher. Born in Wagga Wagga, she grew up in rural New South Wales. She has a BA (Hons) from La Trobe University in Philosophy, an MA (Prelim) in Ancient Greek language and a PhD in Political Science and Women’s Studies both from the University of Melbourne, and is currently back at La Trobe studying Sanskrit.

She is the author of five collections of poetry, a novel, political theory and a quiz book. Among them are Bird (1999), The Butterfly Effect (2005), Earth’s Breath (2009), The Falling Woman (1992), Wild Politics (2002) and The Spinifex Quiz Book (1993). Her work has been selected as best books of the year on several occasions. She co-edited September 11, 2001: Feminist Perspectives with Bronwyn Winter (2002) and CyberFeminism with Renate Klein (1999).

She is a Research Associate at Victoria University, Melbourne where she has supervised postgraduates writing MAs and PhDs in Creative Writing for more than a decade.

She is also a publisher and Director of Spinifex Press and played a leading role among independent Australian publishers in innovative and eBook publishing.

Susan Sayer is a writer, academic and literary agent. In her PhD, she wrote about the work of New Zealand writer, Renée.