Our Committee

Writers Victoria has a hard-working voluntary Committee of Management which oversees the strategic and administrative operations of the organisation.

Noé Harsel

Chair

Noé Harsel has over 15 years’ experience as a communications and development professional and now runs a consulting business. She has lectured in Australian history and cultural studies at RMIT and University of Melbourne and was Co-Director of Melbourne Jewish Book Week. Having published several articles and short stories, she is now working on her first fiction manuscript. Noe co-hosts Sless to Harsel, an irreverent twice-weekly show about writing.

Peter Hill

Secretary

Peter Hill is a journalist and author, a major shareholder in a successful Australian software company, and was the director of a number of technology companies. He has an MBA and a Certificate of Professional Writing and Editing. Peter writes for a number of motoring magazines and has a motoring blog. His latest book is 'The Fred Opert Story' (Veloce, UK). He has compiled and edited five IT related books including 'Practical Software Project Estimation' (McGraw-Hill).

Victor Sekulov

Treasurer

Victor is a Finance Manager with over thirty years experience both in the corporate private and the public sectors, including Not-For-Profit and health benevolent organisations. Victor has sat as a member of a number of committees in his role as Finance Manager/Financial Controller. These have included Audit Committees for major public hospitals; Policy Steering Committees, Evaluation of Service and Tender Committees. Victor is the convener of the Finance Subcommittee. Joined in 2014.

Mel Costello

Board Member

Mel is an experienced People & Culture leader who has worked with professional services firms on key people projects and issues: coaching and developing senior leaders and teams, developing and evolving organisational culture, building diverse and inclusive teams, and championing and enabling flexible working. In 2020 she completed her placement with the Writers Victoria Board as part of The Observership Program, including Board governance and readiness training with the Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD).

Bryan Keon-Cohen

Board Member

Bryan graduated LLM in 1970, lectured at Monash University, worked with the ALRC, practised as a barrister for 35 years, was appointed Queens Counsel in 1996, and retired in 2016. He acted mainly in native title, human rights, refugee appeals, and administrative and constitutional law cases. Bryan has published articles and edited books on legal issues; short stories; a memoir on the Mabo native title case; and is working on a novel. See further: www.bryankeoncohen.com.

Amy Maddison

Board Member

Amy is the founder of String Words, a social enterprise with a mission to humanise healthcare and aged care through storytelling and human centered design. Tertiary qualified in the Arts (Communications and Theatre), Education and Counselling (Conferral 2019), Amy is also a qualified TNI facilitator with several years of experience in various communications and engagement roles across healthcare, aged care, mental health and the Arts.

Sharon Mullins

Board Member

Yasmin Naghavi

Board Member

Yasmin is a senior lawyer at Media Arts Lawyers practising in creative industries law. There she represents world-class graphic and motion design studios, authors, tv/radio talent, journalists, agencies, illustrators, playwrights and screenwriters, streaming services, game makers, visual artists, managers, format and content creators, influencers, photographers, and app developers. Holding both a Juris Doctor (hons) and an MBA, Yasmin combines experience with expertise, industry insight, and a passion for the creative sector.