In this session, I will speak with Melanie about her debut novel Burn, the importance of writing strong Indigenous characters, and how her experience as an editor helped her write her first novel. I wanted to interview Melanie not only because the premise of her book is super exciting, but also because I love seeing representation in books, especially those that champion the voices of Indigenous characters.

ABOUT MELANIE

Melanie Saward (pronounced Say-ward) is a Tulmur (Ipswich) based author and publishing all-rounder. She was born in a little town called Burnie in lutruwita (Tasmania), grew up in an even smaller town called Perth (also in lutruwita) and was dragged kicking and screaming (sorry Mum and Dad) to the Brisbane suburb of Bracken Ridge when she was fifteen. Her debut fiction novel Burn is out with Affirm Press now. She has written a bunch of essays and short stories too and you can read about them on her website.

A publishing all-rounder is someone who has done it all. She has worked in one of the big 4 publishing houses; been a freelance editor on books, audiobooks, and literary magazines; been a marketer and publicity person; a researcher; and a sensitivity reader. These days she spends most of her time teaching university students about the Australian industry at the Queensland University of Technology (QUT).