Breaking Boundaries of Genre

Colombo, Sri Lanka 

Vajra Chandrasekera is from Colombo, Sri Lanka and is online at vajra.me. His debut novel, The Saint of Bright Doors, won the Nebula, Locus, and Crawford awards, and was a New York Times Notable Book of 2023. His second novel Rakesfall is out now. 

Appearing in: Session 2, Session 16, Opening Night Gala 

Singapore 

Benjamin Chee enjoys mashing up genres and themes in the comics he draws. He is the co-creator of Work-Life Balance: Malevolent Managers and Folkloric Freelancers, winner of Best Literary Work and Book of the Year at the 2023 Singapore Book Awards. 

Appearing in: Session 2, Session 6 

Dharawal Country, Sydney, Australia 

sydney khoo is a nonbinary and aromantic asexual writer, born on Dharawal Country, to Malaysian Chinese parents. Though typically drinking bubble tea in Cabramatta, or reading fanfiction in a McDonald’s carpark, they can occasionally be found writing at cafés with their dog Gizmo. 

Appearing in: Session 2, Session 16, Opening Night Gala

Wurundjeri Country, Naarm, Australia 

Shelley Parker-Chan is the author of award-winning epic fantasy novels in which murderous queers make extremely bad life decisions. Their bestselling series, The Radiant Emperor, has been translated into 15 languages. They live in Melbourne, Australia. 

Appearing in: Session 2, Session 12, Session 16