sydney khoo, Erin Riley & Jordan Collins In-conversation

sydney khoo (they/them) is a nonbinary and aromantic asexual writer, born on Dharawal Country (South Western Sydney), to Malaysian Chinese parents. They have a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and a Masters in Creative Writing. Having worked at an eclectic mix of places, including a suicide prevention centre, tattoo parlour, publishing house, and medical clinic, sydney has found working in made-up worlds to be most fulfilling. Though typically drinking bubble tea in Cabramatta, or reading fanfiction in a McDonald’s carpark, they can occasionally be found writing poetry and stories at cafés with their dog Gizmo.

By day, Erin Riley is a social worker, having spent most of the last decade working alongside marginalised populations in community aged care in and around Sydney. By night, Erin’s a skivvy-wearer, a dedicated reader, wrestling fan, swimmer of laps and a lover of routine. Erin brings a queer lived experience to their professional work and to their writing, and is fascinated and energised by the power of stories in both understanding and reimagining ourselves. They were a Penguin Random House Australia Write It fellow in 2021, and have been published in Kill Your Darlings, Bent Street and various corners of the internet. Erin lives in Sydney with their partner and Remy the dog.

Jordan Collins was born in Chicago, Illinois and moved to Australia when they were eight years old. Their heritage is African-American Greek-Australian, meaning that their skin is dark, their hair is curly and they have spent a large part of their life feeling torn between cultures and expectations. Growing up, no matter where they found themselves or how they were doing, they could always find home and belonging in the pages of a book. Now they write to give other people like Jordan a little taste of the home they have made for themselves.