28 Feb / 10:00am – 3:00pm
UQ Centre (72A), St Lucia campus, QLD

UQ Alumni Book Fair Author Talks

Join us on campus for free author talks.

Catch pop-up author talks or join our writing workshop – perfect for anyone ready to start their own storytelling journey.

Come along, get inspired and celebrate the joy of reading with us.

Event details Date: Saturday 28 February
Time: 10am–3pm
Location: UQ Centre (72A), St Lucia campus
Cost: Free. Learn more here.

Moderators

Madonna Duffy (Bachelor of Arts '88) has worked in publishing for over three decades, with previous roles at Penguin in London and Pan Macmillan in Sydney, before joining UQP where she is now Director. Madonna has published many of UQP’s award-winning authors. She is a judge for the Queensland Literary Awards and a member of the APA’s Residential Editorial Program committee. Madonna is also a regular guest speaker at industry events and on university creative writing courses.

Sally Wilson (Bachelor of Arts ’01, Bachelor of Laws (Hons) ’04, Master of Arts ’17) has worked in books and magazine publishing for more than 20 years as a writer, editor, publicist and marketer. She has worked for publishers and literary organisations such as the Brisbane Writers Festival, UQP, Black Inc, Monash University Publishing, Magabala Books, Griffith Review and the Australian Book Industry Awards. She has a BA/LLB from The University of Queensland, where she also completed her Master of Writing, Editing & Publishing. Sally writes about books at The Booklister.

10–10:30am	Author Talk:Carly-Jay Metcalfe on Making a Memoir Metcalfe discusses writing Breath (UQP, 2024), her memoir of triumph and survival, in conversation with Sally Wilson.
11–11:30am	Author Talk: Fiction vs Non-fiction with Ian Kemish AM The debut novel of former Australian diplomat Adjunct Associate Professor Ian Kemish AM (BA (Hons) ’87), Two Islands (UQP 2026), follows his acclaimed non-fiction work The Consul. He reflects on the move to fiction with Sally Wilson.
1–2pm	Author Talk: How to Tell (and Sell) a Story with Kim Wilkins Professor Kim Wilkins (BA (Hons) '98, MA '00, PhD '06) – UQ lecturer, storytelling expert and author of more than 30 works of fiction – shares tips on finding inspiration, overcoming writer’s block and pitching finished work.
2–2:30pm	Author Talk: Andrew Stafford on Music and Memory in Pig City Stafford (BA '94) revisits his recently reissued 2004 cult classic Pig City: From the Saints to Savage Garden (UQP) and explores what makes great music writing with UQP Director Madonna Duffy.
2:30–3pm	Author Talk: Nikki Mottram on Crime (Writing) that Pays In conversation with UQP Director Madonna Duffy, best-selling crime writer Nikki Mottram (BA ’01); author of Crow’s Nest, (UQP 2023) explores suspense and plot, the realities of a writing career and what brings her novels to life.

UQ Alumni Book Fair Author Talks

Breath

Two Islands

The Consul: An insider account from Australia's diplomatic frontline

Pig City: From the Saints to Savage Garden

Crows Nest

The Consul:
An insider account from Australia's diplomatic frontline

Pig City:
From the Saints to Savage Garden