Li Cunxin AO was born in 1961 in communist China, the sixth of seven sons in a poor rural family. At eleven, he was chosen to study at the Beijing Dance Academy, launching a career that made him one of the world’s finest male dancers. He was principal dancer at Houston Ballet and the Australian Ballet, then artistic director of Queensland Ballet from 2012 to 2023. In 2025, he received the Prix de Lausanne’s Lifetime Achievement Award for his contribution to dance. His memoir, Mao’s Last Dancer, became a bestseller and was adapted into film, stage, and print editions. Li lives in Brisbane with his wife, Mary.

Nick Earls is the author of twenty-eight books for adults, teenagers and children. His books have won awards in Australia, the UK and the US, including a Children’s Book Council of Australia Book of the Year and a NSW Premier’s Literary Award. Two of his novels have been adapted into feature films and five into stage plays, with the Zigzag Street play being the most commercially successful in the then eighty-year history of La Boite theatre company. His recent books include the novel Empires and the multi-award-winning novella series Wisdom Tree, which was described by the Sydney Morning Herald as ‘a triumphant and extraordinary piece of fiction’.

Lachlan Stuart is an endurance athlete, keynote speaker, author and founder of The Man That Can Project. After completing 58 marathons in 58 days across 58 states in the USA and Australia, he shared the journey through his book and documentary, States of Mind, raising $162,000 for mental health along the way. Winner of the 2026 Queensland 40 Under 40 Social Impact Award, Lachlan brings honest storytelling and practical lessons on resilience, purpose and pushing beyond self-doubt. His next challenge, The Long Road Home, will see him run from Perth to Brisbane in March 2027, aiming to raise $500,000 for the Top Blokes Foundation.

She’s conquered the pop world as the voice behind global hits Geronimo and Coming Home with Sheppard, becoming one of Australia’s most successful female songwriters with billions of streams and millions of sales. Now, with her iconic blue hair and powerhouse voice, Amy Sheppard is stepping into a new era — country music.