Welcoming our new Admin & Comms Coordinator, Joanne Zou
Last month, Express Media welcomed Joanne Zou to the team as the new Administration and Communications Coordinator, also currently overseeing the role of Schools Producer.
At last, Joanne has sat down to introduce herself to the wider world.
Joanne says:
“I'm thrilled about joining Express Media, an organisation has a long history of helping young writers to experiment, evolve and strike out. Long may this continue.
As a Voiceworks edcommer, I learnt so much about publishing and writing — through working on each issue, and from my fellow edcommers and the authors I was lucky enough to collaborate with. At Express, I'm excited to continue growing like a little plant in the sun. What excites me about the role itself: maintaining spreedsheets (genuinely).”
What are they hoping to bring to the role?
“I'm looking forward to working with Express Media’s existing literary community and networks. I'm also hopeful about the prospect of building and strengthening new connections, as an individual and as part of a wonderful organisation.
It’s true that arts industries are chronically underfunded on a global scale; many institutions tend to display neglect towards the literary arts at best, with attempts at active censorship at worst. I want to have even a small part in helping young authors, poets, artists, illustrators, designers, editors, and art makers on this continent feel like their practice is worth nurturing.”
Currently living on unceded Wurundjeri land, Joanne was born and raised on the Gadigal lands of the Eora people. They previously edited poetry for Voiceworks and they are web editor at volunteer-run magazine Sine Theta. She is particularly enthusiastic about indie and pop music and bubble tea.
“In my reading logs, you’ll see a lot of literary-ish novels from across the past forty, fifty years, alongside romance and the occasional fantasy — though I'll read across genre fiction. I also really like poems. At a party recently, I told someone that my favourite book was Donna Tartt’s The Goldfinch.”