Remnants: When The Past Comes Home

Sophie Stern is from Sydney, Australia, where she lives with her husband and son. Her debut novel What Is Left For Us was published in 2026. Her short fiction has been published in magazines and literary zines, including Yen Magazine and Ellipsis Zine, and shortlisted for the Bridport Prize. The manuscript of her first novel was shortlisted for the Penguin Literary Prize in 2024.

Dr Joseph Toltz is an ethnomusicologst and research manager at the University of Sydney. An expert on Jewish music and its migrations to Anglophone countries, his ethnographic work incorporates creative research (performance, composition, and arrangement), Jewish studies, Holocaust studies, and History. Out of the Depths: The First Collection of Holocaust Songs is his first book.

In a career spanning 40 years in journalism, Michael Visontay has worked as a writer and senior editor at The Sydney Herald and The Australian, across politics, arts, sport and religion, and taught several journalism courses at university. He has written six nonfiction books, including ghost-writing The Happiest Refugee with Anh Do, Who Gave You Permission? The memoir of Manny Waks, and most recently Noble Fragments: the maverick who broke up the world’s greatest book. Currently he works as Commissioning Editor of The Jewish Independent.

Benjamin Preiss is The Age’s regional editor. He was previously State rounds reporter and has also covered education for The Age. He holds a BA in Literature and History and a Graduate Diploma in Journalism.