Michael Williams is the director of the Wheeler Centre. His career with the written word began with a temporary job as an editorial assistant at Text Publishing, which grew into a seven-year ‘publishing apprenticeship’, working in all aspects of the business—from publicity and international rights to commissioning and editing. He has also worked as a freelancer in the book industry, in the New York offices of literary scout Maria Campbell and as one third of the breakfast radio team on Melbourne’s 3RRR. He has published reviews in the Age, Australian and Sydney Morning Herald, the Australian Book Review, Meanjin and The Monthly.