Bel VidalBel Vidal is the pen name of a Bolivian-born writer who has called Sydney home since 1988.Her works of fiction, non-fiction and poetry have been widely published, both in English and Spanish, under her pen name, her real name, and other pseudonyms. She was the recipient of an Australia Council of the Arts (now Creative Australia) grant to publish a bilingual collection of poems and short stories, Arcoiris de Sueños/Rainbow of Dreams (Cervantes Publishing, 1993). An early draft of Bel's debut novel, Exuberance, was shortlisted for the Varuna-Harper Collins award for manuscript development, and was awarded the five-day Varuna Awards Residential Masterclass. Exuberance was independently published in 2023, followed by a collection of fiction and non-fiction short stories, Tales of Suburban Castaways, in 2024. Bel is employed as a communications specialist in the not-for-profit sector. Outside work, she is a mental health advocate, book and art lover, film buff, hiker, traveller, blogger, and firm believer it is never too late to start something new. Read More Read Less