2025 Stella Prize Longlist Announcement

Debra Dank is a Gudanji/Wakaja woman, married to Rick, with three adult children and two grandchildren. An educator, she has worked in teaching and learning for many years - a gift given through the hard work of her parents. She continues to experience the privilege of living with country and with family. Debra completed her PhD in Narrative Theory and Semiotics at Deakin University in 2021. 

Astrid Edwards is a teacher, interviewer and critic. Her PhD at the University of Melbourne investigates potential barriers to publishing and selling climate fiction in Australia. She hosts The Garret, a podcast exploring the Australian publishing industry, and teaches in the Associate Degree of Professional Writing and Editing at RMIT University. She is the former Chair of Melbourne Writers Festival. 

 Leah Jing McIntosh is a critic, researcher, and the founding editor of Liminal. Most recently, she edited the award-winning collection Against Disappearance: Essays on Memory (Pantera Press, 2022).

Rick Morton has been a journalist and writer for over 15 years. He is the winner of the 2013 Kennedy Award for Young Journalist of the Year and the 2017 Kennedy Award for Outstanding Columnist. Rick regularly appears on panels across both the ABC and commercial networks discussing politics, the media, writing and social policy. His latest book is Mean Streak, on the Robodebt scandal.