New Appointments
MARION Annual General Meeting 2025
We’re pleased to share the outcomes of MARION’s 2025 Annual General Meeting, held on 26 May 2025.
Members reflected on a vibrant year of literary activity, community programs, and organisational growth. The 2024 Annual Report was officially released, highlighting key achievements across our programs, awards, partnerships, and advocacy work.
You can download the full report HERE.
We also welcomed new appointments to the MARION Board of Directors.
Erin Cross and Michelle Hyde
We’re delighted to announce:
Erin Cross – elected as Director and Deputy Chair
Erin is a writer, editor and digital storyteller who grew up in and continues to call Canberra home. Since joining HerCanberra in 2021, she has risen to the position of Online Editor where she champions local voices and curates' content that celebrates the city she loves.
An avid reader with authorial aspirations of her own, Erin's professional journey has deepened her appreciation for the vital role writing plays in cultivating community identity and connection. Her dual perspective as both a media professional and literary enthusiast provides unique insights into the challenges writers face and the transformative power of supportive literary environments. Erin joins MARION's board with a commitment to nurturing and sustaining Canberra's vibrant literary ecosystem by strengthening connections between writers and their audiences.
Michelle Hyde – elected as Director
The belief that storytelling is connecting—and connecting is healing— guides both Michelle's creative and professional practice. She is a writer, published poet, and award-winning short story author, currently working on a novel which has been previously long-listed for the 2024 Richell Prize. Michelle's research-based writing is grounded in a long academic career in biological, medical, and veterinary sciences. A person living with disability, Michelle is a committed advocate for disability and neurodiversity. She is a proud Gamilaraay woman through her father’s family with a long history in northwestern NSW. Michelle engages with community and culture in many ways, including by learning and practicing Language, and with storytelling.
We extend our heartfelt thanks to our outgoing Directors – Samantha Faulkner, Katarina Pearson, and Deborah Stevens – for their outstanding contributions to MARION and the broader literary sector. Their commitment and leadership have been instrumental in shaping our organisation.
As we mark our 30th anniversary year, we look forward to working with our new Board to continue strengthening MARION’s role as a voice for writers in the ACT and beyond—and to ongoing relationships with those stepping off the Board, whose support continues to enrich our community.
Thank you to all who attended and contributed to this year’s AGM.
