Journalism

I am a Blue Mountains-based writer and media consultant with a background in journalism, communications, and public engagement. As well as my own creative practice - writing personal essays, memoir, fiction and arts/culture reviews - I help individuals and organisations communicate more effectively, through clear and uncluttered narrative, media engagement, and compelling storytelling. I have trained hundreds of professionals in plain English writing techniques (via the NSW IPAA and Plain English Foundation) and taught senior subjects in Macquarie University's school of media and communication.

Jodie McLeod is a writer and award-winning children's author/publisher at Wollemi Press. Wollemi Press is an independent children’s publishing imprint based in the Blue Mountains, Australia, and was established by Jodie in 2022 as the umbrella imprint for her three children's books, all illustrated by local artist Eloise Short: *** The Black Cockatoo With One Feather Blue (2024 CBCA Notable Picture Book, 2024 Whitley Award – Best Children’s Book, RZSNSW, Shortlisted REAL Award: Picture Book [YABBA/KOALA/CROC Awards] 2024) *** Leonard the Lyrebird (2018) (Whitley Award – Best Children’s Book 2019, RZSNSW; Shortlisted REAL Award: Picture Book [YABBA/KOALA/CROC Awards] 2019), and its follow-up: *** Lilah the Lyrebird (2022) The MO of Wollemi Press is to publish 'stories worth sharing' – stories that, because of whatever it is that makes them special – be it their sense of fun, their characters or their beautiful message – simply refuse to be untold. Jodie is an experienced speaker at schools and festivals, whether for author visits or creative writing workshops, and works regularly with writing organisation Westwords. Along with her work as a children's author Jodie also offers copywriting services, having worked with a big list of agencies and clients. She's also worked for many years in magazine publishing, editing and feature writing, with an Honours degree in Creative Writing (UOW). When she's not writing, you might find Jodie running the trails of the Blue Mountains where she lives with her husband and two daughters.

Jacqueline Forster is a journalist, writer, and editor working on the unceded Country of the Dharug and Gundungurra peoples in the Blue Mountains, NSW. With over two decades of experience contributing to leading lifestyle publications in Australia and Aotearoa/New Zealand, Jacqueline’s work spans journalism, copywriting, creative writing, publishing, and marketing, with a strong focus on sustainability, slow living, and community connection. She is a long-standing contributor, and former staff member, of ABC Organic Gardener magazine, where she has written extensively on edible gardening, regenerative agriculture, and grassroots food systems. Her writing has appeared in PIP, Shepherdess (NZ), ABC Gardening Australia, Australian Country Style, WellBeing, Slow, The Sydney Morning Herald, and local publications she co-founded - Blue Mountains Love and Harvest Blue Mountains. Bucket list interviews include Alone Australia winner Gina Chick, author John Marsden, and Kiwi culinary queen Annabelle Langbein. She once wrote winning coverlines for the ABC’s iconic annual Cricket magazine. Jacqueline is currently working on her first non-fiction book, The Other Woman, which explores the surprising side hustles, passion projects, and creative identities of everyday women. Outside of publishing, Jacqueline coordinated the Blue Mountains Edible Garden Trail from 2019 – 2024 and remains involved in running the not-for-profit community event. She is a board member of Farm It Forward, a social enterprise connecting young people with land to grow food and build community resilience, and she is deeply engaged with the Blue Mountains local food and sustainability networks. Jacqueline is available for freelance assignments, editorial projects, and collaborations that align with her values of integrity, creativity, and connection to place. Whether crafting a feature article, creating engaging coverlines and ledes, or attention grabbing media releases, Jacqueline brings clarity and strong editorial instinct to every project.

Seed is a new generation of communications and PR consultancy. Ethical, socially sensitive and aware, we develop strategic communication and PR programs that support conscious leadership and help drive positive social and environmental impact. We are passionate about what we do which ensures our campaigns are creative and compelling, connect with audiences and create discussion. At Seed, we believe purposeful organisations deserve to get their message out there and be heard, to help this we work with realistic budgets, giving you the opportunity to gain exposure.

Belle Butler is a writer, a musician and project photographer. Her fiction has appeared in numerous literary journals and her novel manuscript, 'River', has received a number of awards. She was most recently awarded the WestWords Emerging Writers Fellowship for 'River' and was paired with mentor Delia Falconer. She is also a writer for the Blue Mountains based Planetary Health Initiative. In the music department, Belle has released two singles: 'I Am She' and 'Quick.' 'I Am She' was her response to personal and witnessed misogyny and gender-based violence and abuse. 'Quick', while less confronting, was no less personal. 'Quick' is about change, and the loss, grief, nostalgia, resistance and acceptance that comes with it. Belle often plays with photography to compliment her written and musical projects. She received a grant from The Seed to create a photo-narrative, 'Intersections,' about Sydney's street corner windscreen washers. Most recently, she created a stop motion video out of leaves to go with her single, 'Quick.'

Caro's been in the business of creating content since well before content creation was even a phrase. Starting out in television in 2000, she worked in various production roles before setting up Juicy back in 2004. These days her love of story-telling can be found in directing, producing, editing (yes, a preditor!) travel writing and podcasting. While she has a particular affinity for travel and adventure production, over the years she’s helped produce numerous TVCs, videos and branded content for a range of clients including NPWS, Qantas, P&O Cruises, Disney Imagineering, Commonwealth Bank and the RTA. When she’s not creating work for others, she spends her time on her own adventures and volunteering for the SES coordinating search and rescue operations in the Blue Mountains or teaching traditional navigation skills. In 2021 she wrote and published the book, 'How to Navigate - the art of traditional map and compass navigation in an Australian context,' which is the navigation text book for NSW Police Rescue and the SES. You can find her outdoor adventure blog at: lotsafreshair.com and listen to her podcast, 'Rescued' on all podcast platforms.