Who is she?

My name’s Dr Melanie Saward (pronounced Say-ward). I’m a Bigambul and Wakka Wakka woman, based in Tulmur (Ipswich). I’m an author, academic, and publishing all-rounder (more on what that means in a second). I 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 I was fifteen.

What’s she written?

My debut fiction novel Burn came out with Affirm Press in 2023 and my first romantic comedy novel Love Unleashed came out with Penguin Books Australia in 2024. Next year (2025), there will also be a middle-grade novel out that I’ve co-written with my tidda, Brooke Blurton. It’s called A Good Kind of Trouble and it will be published by HarperCollins Australia in February 2025.

I’ve written a bunch of essays and short stories too and you can read about them on my portfolio page.

What’s a publishing all-rounder?

A publishing all-rounder is someone who has done it all. I’ve 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 I spend most of my time teaching university students about the Australian industry at the University of Queensland.