Kathryn is an award-winning screenwriter, playwright, public speaker and writing coach. She recently won the NZTA Best Script Drama Award (w Riwia Brown) for her telefeature The Tender Trap and her latest play “The Campervan” is scheduled for production in September 2022. She has numerous TV and film credits - including Under The Vines, My Life is Murder, Fresh Eggs, The Sounds andThe Cul de Sac to name just a few.

She is the creator of the Writing Room and has helped many writers along their writing journey. Kathryn is a dynamic tutor and has run popular workshops all over NZ including at the Auckland Writers Festival and the Wanaka Autum Art School.

Dominic Hoey is a poet, author and playwright based in Auckland, New Zealand. His debut novel Iceland was a New Zealand bestseller, long-listed for the 2018 Ockham Book Award. His latest poetry collection I Thought We’d Be Famous was released in October 2019 through his own press, Dead Bird Books. He’s written and performed two, hit one man shows about his bone disease and inability to get arts funding. In a former life, Dominic was an MC battle and slam-poetry champion. Through his Learn To Write Good creative writing course, Dominic has taught 100’s of students how to think dyslexic. He also works with young people through the Atawhai program, teaching art, yoga and meditation to help them with their mental health and self esteem. Currently he lives with a small vicious dog and dreams of one day owning an animal rescue farm.

Cheryl is a USA Today bestselling author with two alter egos. C.A. Phipps writes cosy mysteries while Cheryl Phipps writes romance and women’s fiction. She enjoys crafting heart-warming tales of endearing characters with strong family ties, and depending on the genre you’ll find quirky pets, romance, humour, mystery, and delicious baking! Cheryl is also one of the four hosts of the popular weekly podcast about self-publishing, the SPA Girls Podcast.

An award-winning screenwriter/producer whose work ranges from supernatural thrillers to romantic comedies. Nick’s most recent credits include Wellington Paranormal, Under the Vines and Fresh Eggs - a black comedy he co-created for Warner Brothers. His film credits include comedy-dramas “Stickmen” and “Second-Hand Wedding”. He has worked on numerous TV series and currently has a sci-fi/horror series in development with HBO

Anne Kennedy is an award-winning poet, fiction writer, screenplay editor and teacher. Her most recent books include The Sea Walks into a Wall and The Ice Shelf. Awards and fellowships include the Montana Book Award for Poetry, the University of Iowa International Writers' Program, and the 2021 Prime Minister's Award for Poetry. Anne has taught creative writing at the University of Hawai`i and at Manukau Institute of Technology.

An early love of magic and dragons led Trudi Jaye into a career as an urban fantasy author where she spends her days trying to figure out how tall a person would be against a dragon and whether demons can feel pain. She self-published her first book in 2015 and hasn’t looked back since, with eighteen titles to her name. She’s also one of the four hosts of the popular weekly podcast about self-publishing, the SPA Girls Podcast.

Eileen Merriman is the author of seven young adult books, including the recently released Black Spiral, and has also published three adult novels. In addition to being a regular finalist in the NZ Book Awards for Children and Young Adults, Merriman was a finalist in the 2021 Ngaio Marsh Award for Best Crime Novel and Moonlight Sonata was long-listed for the Jann Medlicott Acorn Prize for Fiction 2020.

Scott Butler’s first home was on an air-force base in Blenheim, New Zealand. His love of books came from the birthday gift his father continues to give him every year. Scott works in advertising. He writes novels, short stories and blogs about original ideas he wants to share.