Jordie Albiston is a poet, editor and teacher. The most recent of her five books of poetry is Vertigo: A Cantata (John Leonard Press 2007). The Fall (2003) was shortlisted for Premier’s prizes in Victoria, NSW & Queensland. Two of her collections have been adapted for music-theatre by Sydney composer Andrée Greenwell and enjoyed recent seasons at the Sydney Opera House. She is currently working on a collection of sonnets. Jordie has a PhD in Law and Literature.
Eddie Creaney was born in Coatbridge Scotland and educated in Scotland and England. He arrived in Australia in 1961 and is still here. Following a corporate career in transport and association management, Eddie has devoted his skills to various arts groups. He is Treasurer of the Victorian Writers Centre and a member of the Committee of Management. He is a foundation member of the Trust Fund Board of the Melbourne Poets Union. He has been editor of MPU chapbooks and is advisor to the committee of St Kilda Music and Poetry Inc. since it was founded in 2005.
He writes short stories and poetry and is working on a novel for young adults His poetry is mainly in lowland Scots though he will venture into English if he has to.
Connie de Silva is a project manager and an editor in the publishing industry, a writer and a teacher. She has an undergraduate degree with majors in English Literature and Linguistics (Monash University), an MA in Applied Linguistics (Monash) and a CELTA qualification (RMIT/Cambridge University). Connie set up home in St Kilda, Victoria, in 1990. Connie is co-administrator of the St Kilda Music and Poetry Inc. artistic events and projects.
Owen C Eales is an acoustic guitarist, singer-songwriter, and teacher of Latin and English. He majored in Latin and English (University of Queensland) and obtained his Dip. Ed. qualification at University of Melbourne. He has lived in St Kilda, Victoria, since 2000. He is a published writer of children’s educational products. Owen is co-administrator of the St Kilda Music and Poetry Inc. artistic events and projects.
Steven Goldate is a ceramic artist, web page designer and closet writer.
Sonia Pan was born in China. She obtained her undergraduate qualifications there, where she is a qualified accountant. Sonia received her MA in Banking and Finance at the University of Durham in the UK. Sonia has banking, accounting and administration professional work experience in China and South Africa. She came to Melbourne with her husband in November 2006. She is currently studying on the Chartered Financial Analyst program and working as a finance officer in Port Melbourne.
Bruce Rankin is a professional illustrator. After a first career as a survey draftsman, Bruce Rankin went back to RMIT a second time in 1981 and completed a Graphics Art Diploma in 1984. He worked as freelance illustrator until 1988 when he joined a publishing company - where he still works full-time, doing a variety of technical and creative illustration for primary and secondary school books. Most of the drawings in his personal collection are done in his lunch breaks: they are small and done quickly because of the time constraints. The media is mainly old-fashioned dip pen with Indian ink and wash, or water pencils or crayons wetted, on watercolour paper.
Hema Wickramaarachchi was born and educated in Columbo, Sri Lanka. In 1995 Hema left her desk job at the Sri Lankan Ministry of Foreign Affairs to serve in the diplomatic service in New Delhi. In the years 1997 to 1999, she was based in the Sri Lankan embassy in Tehran, returning to Columbo for some years before taking up an appointment in Warsaw (2002 to 2007). In 2008, she arrived in Melbourne with her family, where she now lives and works in a secretarial capacity.