10 Influential Publishing Leaders in Melbourne Today

Melbourne's publishing community is bigger than any one publishing house. It includes book publishers, university presses, children's imprints, literary festivals, independent media and organisations that help writers and readers meet.

In 2026, that work matters because publishing is not only about releasing books. It is also about choosing which ideas receive attention, building audiences, supporting creators, developing new formats and making a city feel like a place where stories can travel.

This is a discovery list, not a ranking. The ten people below are included because their current work connects publishing, books, literary culture or the wider Melbourne publishing ecosystem.

People shaping Melbourne's publishing community.

1. Veronica Sullivan

Festival Director and CEO, Melbourne Writers Festival.

Veronica Sullivan leads Melbourne Writers Festival at the point where authors, publishers, booksellers and audiences meet. The organisation's own 2026 Q&A with Veronica Sullivan describes her role as Festival Director and CEO and sets her work in the festival's 40th anniversary year.

That makes her a useful person to watch if you want to understand publishing as a living public culture, not only as a transaction between a publisher and a reader. Her work brings books into rooms, conversations and communities, including through programmes designed to support local Melbourne writers and emerging voices.

2. Erin Vincent

Chief Executive Officer, The Wheeler Centre.

Erin Vincent leads The Wheeler Centre, Melbourne's centre for books, writing and ideas. The organisation announced her appointment after a career in journalism, production and content leadership, and its 2025 annual report still describes the organisation's year through the vision of its CEO Erin Vincent.

Her work is relevant to publishing because it shows how literary organisations build audiences around ideas. The Wheeler Centre creates a bridge between writers, publishers, thinkers and the public, helping books and conversations reach people who may not encounter them through a traditional bookselling route.

3. Caitlin Yates

Chief Executive Officer, Black Inc.

Caitlin Yates is CEO of Black Inc., a Melbourne-based independent publisher with a substantial list across books, essays and specialist imprints. Black Inc.'s current contact page names Caitlin as CEO and places the organisation in Collingwood.

The company publishes Black Inc., Quarterly Essay, La Trobe University Press and other connected lists. Caitlin's role therefore offers a close view of the choices that shape Australian nonfiction, literary publishing and the movement of ideas from manuscript to public conversation.

4. Roxy Ryan

Managing Director, Hardie Grant Publishing.

Roxy Ryan is Managing Director of Hardie Grant Publishing. The publisher's own leadership announcement says that Roxy, Julia Kumschick and Kate Brown share responsibility for leading the business, with Roxy leading Hardie Grant Publishing as Managing Director.

Hardie Grant's portfolio reaches across books, children's publishing, exploration, independent imprints and international markets. Roxy's work is a good reminder that Melbourne publishing leadership now includes long-term thinking about formats, commissioning, author partnerships and how a local publisher builds a wider audience.

5. Misha Ketchell

Editor and Executive Director, The Conversation Australia and New Zealand.

Misha Ketchell is Editor and Executive Director at The Conversation Australia and New Zealand. The organisation's 2025 stakeholder report places that editorial leadership within a Melbourne-based publishing model that works with academics to make research and ideas available to the public.

That is an important part of the publishing story because it expands the idea of who can become a public author. Misha's work sits between journalism, research communication and editorial judgement, helping expert knowledge become clear, useful writing for readers beyond the university.

6. Lisa Watts

Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director, The Conversation Australia and New Zealand.

Lisa Watts is Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director at The Conversation Australia and New Zealand. Her role represents the operational side of a public-purpose publishing organisation, where editorial quality, partnerships, audience reach and sustainable delivery all have to work together.

The Conversation's 2025 stakeholder report names Lisa alongside its editorial leadership. That makes her worth following if you are interested in the systems behind modern publishing, not only the visible work of authors, editors and publishers.

7. Nik Zajda

Director, James Nicholas Publishers.

Nik Zajda is Director at James Nicholas Publishers, a Melbourne academic publisher with a long connection to scholarly journals and international readers. The publisher's about page describes a family-run business founded in 1978 and a journal list that reaches readers in many countries.

His work shows the international side of a local publishing ecosystem. Academic publishing depends on patient editorial relationships, specialist knowledge and the ability to keep a focused list useful to readers well beyond the city where the business operates.

8. Morry Schwartz

Publisher and Founder, Schwartz Media.

Morry Schwartz is Publisher and Founder of Schwartz Media. The company's own history describes his start as a counterculture publisher in 1974 and the growth of a group that now publishes books, magazines, journals, newspapers and podcasts.

Schwartz Media's work connects independent book publishing with journalism and long-form public argument. Morry's career is therefore part of Melbourne's publishing story in a broad sense, showing how a publisher can build an ecosystem of distinct publications around a commitment to quality writing.

9. Julia Carlomagno

Publisher and Director, Monash University Publishing.

Julia Carlomagno is Publisher and Director at Monash University Publishing, according to the current team page. Her background includes senior editorial work at Black Inc., Scribe and Penguin, as well as editing awards and experience developing books for a wider readership.

Monash University Publishing works across politics, biography, history, memoir, First Nations voices, the environment and other areas of public interest. Julia's role brings trade publishing experience into the university-press setting, where careful editorial work helps scholarship meet readers beyond the campus.

10. Miriam Rosenbloom

Publisher and Art Director, Scribble.

Miriam Rosenbloom established Scribble, the children's imprint of Scribe Publications, and remains its Publisher and Art Director. Scribble's about page says the imprint was launched in 2016 and is based in Brunswick, Naarm/Melbourne.

Her work brings publishing, art direction, design and international rights into the same conversation. Scribble works with authors and illustrators from around the world, which makes Miriam's leadership a strong example of how a Melbourne publisher can build a distinctive local identity while helping stories travel internationally.

Conclusion.

These ten people show that Melbourne publishing is a connected system rather than a single lane. Festivals and literary centres build audiences, independent publishers choose and develop lists, university presses bring scholarship to readers, and media organisations create new forms of public writing.

The common thread is practical leadership. Each role involves deciding what deserves attention, helping creators do their best work and building the conditions for readers to find something meaningful.

If you are leading a publishing, media or creative organisation and want to strengthen the way your team works together, you can learn more about Jonno White's leadership work. You can also browse more leadership ideas and resources from Consult Clarity.

About the Author.

Jonno White is the founder of Consult Clarity, a keynote speaker, leadership consultant and author. He helps leaders build organisations people would move cities to work at, with practical ideas that teams can use on Monday morning.

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If you would like written help with a publishing, media or creative leadership challenge, email jonno@consultclarity.org.