Hello :) I’m Gill Hutchison.

Like many before me, I traversed the valley of impostor syndrome to write my first book. Talk about ‘a journey’. Surf Life was published in October 2022 by Thames & Hudson and can be found online and in bookshops in Australia, New Zealand, the UK and the US. I’m stoked.

My meandering path to becoming a writer began with a Bachelor of Arts in English in Darwin back in the 90s. The idea of art school then tickled my fancy so I decided to complete a Bachelor of Screen Production in Brisbane in my early 20s. After I graduated I tried to break into the film industry in Melbourne by way of working in hospitality for bucks and working in the industry for free. But one day I saw a job advertised for a full-time production assistant at Penguin Books and so began a new career.

From the first day, I knew I had found my people. I also realised I needed to be a book editor. After two years of further study at RMIT I completed a post-grad in Editing and Publishing. I landed my first editing gig working on licensed titles; a fast-paced quick turnaround training ground to hone my skills. Soon after, I decided a one-way ticket to London was a brilliant idea and for four years I worked at Penguin Books children’s licensing before the long dark winters had me pining for home. 

I returned to Melbourne, and after freelancing for a swathe of publishers, landed a permanent role at Melbourne University Press as Managing Editor, working with Louise Adler and an incredibly intelligent group of women. I loved the complexity of the non-fiction projects. (This is also when impostor syndrome really blossomed.)

Then after a holiday to Mexico, I discovered surfing and my life completely changed. 

I was obsessed. Every weekend I tiptoed along the razor’s edge of overwhelming fear and joy as I bobbed in the ocean waiting for a wave to ride. I documented this whole experience on my blog, back when it felt like everyone knew each other on the internet. 

These days, after nearly seven years of a dream job as a bookseller on the Surf Coast, I have returned to full-time work in Strategic Communications. I also occasionally contribute to The Guardian and Surfing World. In 2024, I was a recipient of a DEVELOP Creative Grant. A Substack called Inexplicably Hot is a small writing project that keeps me amused.

This year my life has been completely transformed by jogging (yes, I’m one of those newbies). In the depths of winter in 2025, I began a Slow AF Run Club and we run in the early mornings about three times a week. Our club motto is ‘Showing up is a PB’. I can’t wait to start interviewing and writing about fellow AFletes in a new writing project set to launch in 2026.