Emily Bitto is the author of Stella Prize winning novel The Strays (Affirm Press, and forthcoming from Twelve, an imprint of Hachette Book Group, US). She has a Masters in literary studies and a PhD in creative writing from the University of Melbourne. Her writing has appeared in various publications, including The Sydney Morning Herald, Meanjin, Heat, the Australian Literary Review and The Big Issue Fiction Edition. The Strays was shortlisted for the Victorian Premier’s Literary Award for an Unpublished Manuscript, the Indie Prize and the Dobbie Award, and won the 2015 Stella Prize. Emily Bitto lives in Melbourne where she co-owns the Carlton winebar, Heartattack & Vine.