Author, Editor, Curator, Literary Host et al.
ABOUT
Amy Lovat is the author of Mistakes and Other Lovers (2023) and Big Feelings (2025) and the current program manager of the Newcastle Writers Festival. She has a PhD in English and Writing and lives with her wife, a brood of animals, and thousands of books across unceded Awabakal and Gadigal Country in NSW, Australia.
Amy is a curator of literary events and an experienced interviewer/moderator. She has hosted conversations with authors and big thinkers like Hannah Kent, Dr Jackie Huggins, Emily Maguire, Sally Hepworth, Virginia Trioli, Sara M Saleh, Tracey Spicer, Tony Birch, Benjamin Stevenson, Holly Wainwright, Miles Merrill, and Kris Kneen. She regularly hosts book launches, in-conversations and panel sessions at events such as Sydney Writers Festival, Byron Writers Festival, and Dymocks Books in Bars.
For the past decade, Amy has been teaching creative writing at universities, schools and private institutions, moulding minds towards her true agenda: read more books. Amy founded Secret Book Stuff in 2017 as a bookstore and literary subscription. She’s also been a bookseller, copywriter, editor, proofreader, and research assistant, working on projects such as the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, the representation of women in the music industry, and queer representation in Young Adult literature.
BOOKS
El O'Reilly is exceptionally good at making mistakes, like falling in love with the charismatic youth pastor, Mace, while engaged to her high school boyfriend, sleepless nights with beers and bongs and boys and girls, and that’s just the start. Mistakes and Other Lovers explores the pressure, pain and freedom of being on the cusp of adulthood and realising things aren't what you thought they'd be. That disappointing the people you love (and yourself) is inevitable. That making mistakes might be the best thing you've ever done.
EVENTS
07.07.2025 | Sydney book launch of Big Feelings
29.07.2025 | Melbourne book launch of Big Feelings
07.06.2025 | Bellingen Readers and Writers Festival
PRESS
Kind Words
“It's always such a delight to be in conversation with a chair as skilled and generous as you. Thank you for your gentle steering, thoughtful and considered questions, and for your generosity in allowing me to go off on my little diverging pathways.” - Hannah Kent
“Thank you so much for doing such a wonderful job of leading my session. I felt in very safe hands, as well as being inspired to think in new ways – it doesn’t get any better than that .It will stand as a highlight for me in this year of blathering about my book. You’re the best!” - Debra Oswald
“Amy was one of the best interviewers I have ever been paired with and she made the event very easy and enjoyable. It really was one of the best sessions I’ve done!” - Kris Kneen
