Our Team
Michael Cybulski (CEO)
His father, an RAF Officer, Michael’s early years were with his family living at various RAF bases in the UK, and Gibraltar, Ireland, Malta and Singapore. Completing his education in the UK, his early career in London saw him heavily involved in international trade. This interest continued throughout his career, all of his businesses having an international focus. A somewhat serendipitous meeting with a Western Australian author prompted the 2015 launch of New Authors Collective, the majority of NAC Literary’s subsequent deals being with publishers offshore. 2022 saw first steps in the international rights space, NAC Rights Agency now representing several indie publishers’ back and front lists worldwide. Michael is responsible for NAC’s external relations (with authors, publishers, reviewers, other service providers and media), and international marketing.
Dr Bella Ellwood-Clayton (Editorial Head – Adult Fiction and Memoir)
An experienced fiction and nonfiction editor who has worked on numerous bestselling novels, Bella focuses on novel structure, character development, and voice. Genres she enjoys include: women’s fiction, memoir, literary, romance, domestic suspense, and thrillers. An award-winning author in her own right, Bella has published a narrative nonfiction book (Allen & Unwin), short stories in numerous journals, poetry, and hundreds of articles about relationships, well-being, and gender in various magazines and sites. Her novel Weekend Friends is slated for publication in November 2023 (Post Hill Press, Simon & Schuster). Her favourite writers include Liane Moriarty, Celeste Ng, Donna Tartt, Hermann Hesse, and Jodi Picoult.
Lisa Heidke (NAC Editorial Head – Contemporary Fiction)
Lisa joined NAC. as an author in 2019, Bloodhound Books (UK) published her Lily’s little Flower Shop, followed in quick succession by My Big Greek Holiday and Should You Keep A Secret? under her pen name, Lisa Darcy. Joining NAC editorial in 2021, Lisa’s passion is for writing fiction, typically stories about women in their thirties and forties navigating friendships, careers, romance, ultimately triumphing over adversity.
Having taught creative writing courses at the Australian Writers’ Centre in Sydney for many years with a focus on novel structure, character development, and point of view, Lisa has a strong background in nurturing creative talent.
A voracious reader, she most enjoys historical fiction, murder mysteries, domestic suspense, memoir, thrillers, chick-lit, and commercial women’s fiction. Her favourite reads include Bonnie Garmus (Lessons in Chemistry), Dawn O’Porter (Cat Lady), Kylie Ladd (I’ll Leave You With This) and Richard E. Grant’s memoir (A Pocketful Of Happiness).
Laura Fulton (Social Media Coordinator)
Australian/American Laura joined NAC in 2022 with her debut novel ‘Those Tiny Quiet Places’, a family saga with elements of mystery and crime set in the Mississippi delta region of her birth. Laura has been writing for as long as she’s been able to hold a pencil, in between travelling the world, teaching high school and wrangling her family.
An avid reader, Laura enjoys un-put-down-able stories full of captivating characters with engaging voices. While she’ll read nearly any genre, she especially loves literary fiction, historical fiction, scintillating memoir and anything that makes her laugh.
Laura loves connecting with other writers and readers via Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and her website www.laurafulton.org. In her role as Social Media Coordinator Laura manages social media accounts on behalf of NAC Literary, tracks trends, researches and helps authors on NAC’s list facilitate best practices across the range of social media.
Deborah Ackerley (Marketing Support)
Born in Gibraltar, Deb enjoyed other cultures during her father’s numerous UK and overseas postings as an RAF Officer. Later, she established a Women’s Enterprise Centre in Swindon, Wiltshire, helping women set up small enterprises, many as they returned to the workforce. As Chair of the UK’s National Women’s Enterprise Forum Deborah helped 50 Enterprise Agencies establish their own Women’s Enterprise Centres. Later, as Manager of a specialist conservation architectural practice, she oversaw UK West Country tender submissions. Deb’s experience now supports NAC’s manuscript submissions to UK acquisitions editors, with a particular focus on emerging female authors, and their dream of being published.
Ros Harvey (Marketing Support)
Born and raised in Perth, Ros travelled extensively, enjoying 10 years ex pat living in England, Hong Kong and USA before settling in Sydney with her young family. Returning to the workforce in various IT, insurance and research admin roles, in 2018 she joined NAC’s Head of Finance & Admin, before applying her extensive admin experience to support NAC’s manuscript submissions to Australian and US acquisitions editors.
Dennis Fisher (Finance and Administration)
Dennis grew up in the Tasmanian midlands, where he worked on the family grazing property before joining the PNG Department of District Administration. Postings to isolated Patrol Posts necessitated becoming a “Jack of all trades and Master of each”, as Police officer, Roads and Airstrip Engineer, Magistrate, Treasury Official and indeed ‘representative’ of all Government Departments. Somehow his accounting studies had to fit in with his other responsibilities. Awarded the Australian Federal Police Overseas Service Medal for his work in PNG, and engagement with the Royal Papua and New Guinea Constabulary, He return to Australia, settling in Sydney, and a career in the oil industry. Responsible for Golden Fleece Petroleum Credit Department Dennis went into retail after the Caltex merger, leasing a service station, opening a travel goods business and, later, a successful bookkeeping business. Joining the group in 1999, he moved to Head of F&A in 2005, his remit including NAC Literary since 2021.