In June 2026, we welcomed two new faces to our board: Melanie Joosten and Tessa Spring. While both have come from within the book and publishing industry, their journeys have been very different.
A fiction and non-fiction writer, Melanie has published several books, with her novel Wild Orchids set to release in 2027. When she’s not at her writing desk, she’s advising on law reform and restorative justice at the Centre of Innovative Justice at RMIT University.
With a career across the book industry, Tessa started as a bookseller before moving into book production at Penguin Random House and Hardie Grant Books. This positioned her perfectly for the next part of her journey: commercial relationships. Working alongside booksellers and channel partners across Asia Pacific, she has seen books at every stage – from their early development to distribution into the market.
In this special interview, we get to know Tessa and Melanie beyond their amazing resumes and where they see Writers Victoria heading in the future.
You’ve each had successful careers, both in the book industry and wider community organisations. What made you want to join the Writers Victoria board?
Melanie: As a fiction and non-fiction writer, I know firsthand the challenges (and joys) of being a writer. I have benefited from not only Writers Victoria courses but other writing opportunities such as the Neilma Sidney Travel Grant. I feel I am now in a position to give back.
Having seen the changes to the publication and writing industries over the last 15 or so years, including contractions in funding and support for the arts, I am worried about what’s next. In the age of AI and neo-capitalism, places where people can explore their inner life, develop skills and build a community are more important than ever. I would like to help Writers Victoria continue to be that place.
Tessa: Books and publishing have been, and will always be, the focus of my career. But there are no great books without authors; no thriving bookshops, publishing houses, book festivals or reading communities without the people who write.
At a time when arts organisations face rising costs and funding pressure, Writers Victoria’s role in supporting Victorian writers is more important than ever. Being part of the board, I bring current, practical knowledge of the publishing landscape. It also gives me the opportunity to help raise Writers Victoria’s profile across the industry, make useful commercial and creative connections, support partnership and fundraising conversations, and contribute as an active ambassador for the organisation and its members.
The writing industry continues to evolve, with new challenges and opportunities on the horizon. What excites you most about Writers Victoria’s future?
Melanie: Writers Victoria is an essential part of the Victorian arts landscape because it supports writers at all stages of the journey. This contributes to the strengthening of relationships between individuals and the creation of community and collective purpose – it’s so important for a good society!
What excites me most is the opportunities for writers to build community while practicing their craft. I think the increased use of AI in so many aspects of life has highlighted what’s missing when you outsource to a machine: the satisfaction and joy of being involved in the mess of making. Writing and thinking (rather than just being passive consumers) are necessary components of living – and Writers Victoria makes space for this, which I think people are craving now more than ever.
Tessa: Writers are the cornerstone of the book industry. We need to protect this community wherever and however we can, supporting both emerging and established writers alike.
I look forward to listening closely to the needs and aspirations of members, and to fostering a community where writers can develop their craft, build confidence and feel a strong sense of belonging.
A vibrant writing culture strengthens not only Victoria’s literary life, but Australia’s broader reading and publishing landscape for years to come.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve received in your career, and why has it stuck with you?
Melanie: As a writer, the best piece advice I’ve received is to ‘Write the thing that you want to read’. Trust that if you are truly invested and interested in it, other people will be too. And I think there’s a lot of truth to that.
Tessa: To “keep the main thing the main thing.”
As writers, it is easy to feel overwhelmed by the scale of a project or by the creative process. Whether it is a chapter, paragraph, sentence or stanza at a time, progress is made by focusing on the next manageable step and staying connected to the purpose of the project.
When we’re not serving on the board, where could we find you?
Melanie: If it’s before 7am, I’ll be at my writing desk. Otherwise, probably taking a circuitous public transport route to work so I have more time to read.
Tessa: My day-to-day work has me working with large online retailers, neighbourhood bookstores, specialty stores and library suppliers – helping them access both traditionally and independently published books. I take pride in supporting these partners, helping them identify growth opportunities while ensuring readers have access to the widest possible range of titles, formats and voices.
In my spare time, you’ll likely find me curled up with a book beside a towering TBR pile, or browsing for more books to add to said TBR pile.
What’s been your favourite read / new author this year and why?
Melanie: Sororocidal by Edwina Preston. This is one of those books where the author knows exactly what she wants to do and has a lot of fun doing it. It pounces off the page into your imagination as a fully realised world, and made so much other fiction I’d been reading seem careful and flat. Preston plays beautifully with point of view and time lapses — she’s a writer who has mastered the art of fiction writing, not just storytelling.
Tessa: Being committed to reading both traditionally and independently published works, it’s impossible to choose only one book or author! Here are a few reads that have captured my interest recently:
Traditionally published fiction that had me at hello includes SenLinYu’s Alchemised, Madeline Miller’s Song of Achilles, and Toshikazu Kawaguchi’s Before the Coffee Gets Cold. These books have held my attention for different reasons, whether it be the masterful unfolding of the story, the philosophical concept, the use of language or surprising plot twists.
Indie reads I have recently devoured include Kate Schumacher’s The Grail Cycle series, Ekta Bali’s Her Vicious Beasts series, and G. R. Thomas’ The Frangatelli Mirror, all notable for their epic and engaging plots.