Luke Bateman & the Debutants

Emily Lighezzolo (Life Drawing), Jacob K Gallagher (The Doubles), Cameron Sullivan (The Red Winter), Shailee Thompson (How to Kill a Guy in Ten Dates).

Chair: Luke Bateman

6:30–7:30pm, Friday 9 October, Parkside Marquee

Ever since he burst onto BookTok in 2025, NRL-star-turned-fantasy-author Luke Bateman has been using his platform to champion the work of other writers. Now, ahead of his debut novel being released in 2027, he’s doing it in person! Join Bateman as he chats with four of Australia’s most exciting new novelists – whose work runs the gamut from literary to speculative fiction and from fantasy to slasher romcom – to explore the thrills and spills of being a first-time author.