Acknowledgement

We respectfully acknowledge that Byron Writers Festival takes place on the traditional lands of the Arakwal Bumberbin Peoples of the Bundjalung Nation. We pay respects to Elders past and present, and acknowledge them as the original storytellers of the lands and waterways of this Country.

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Writer

Mindy Woods

Mindy Woods is a proud Bundjalung woman, chef, and cultural leader reshaping how Australia understands native food. In 2025, she became the first Australian to be named Champion of Change at the World’s 50 Best Restaurants Awards, recognised internationally for connecting food, culture, and Country. Mindy is the first Aboriginal female chef awarded a Good Food Guide Chef Hat for her Byron Bay restaurant, Karkalla, where she uses food as a vehicle for cultural storytelling and connection.