This year we continue to explore the theme of THIS CREATIVE LIFE, bringing light to nourishing, nurturing gatherings.

We are delighted to present Deborah Cassrels, fearless journalist, as The Australian newspaper’s first Bali-based correspondent, she covered events throughout Indonesia for a decade.

She will be sharing her wisdom and fascinating creative life as a female foreign correspondent, highly acclaimed author who embarked on a personal odyssey after the demise of her long marriage.

EXTRA SURPRISES: There will be giveaways and more surprises in true Mama Creatives style, all to celebrate the power of coming together in a safe space for women to gather, inspire and support each other.

About Deborah Cassrels

Deborah Cassrels has been a journalist for over 40 years. As The Australian newspaper’s first Bali-based correspondent, she covered events throughout Indonesia for a decade, returning to Sydney in 2020.

She has written extensively on refugees, politics, terrorism, crime, court, social justice, societal and environmental upheavals, health, Schapelle Corby and the Bali Nine Australian drug smugglers, among other issues. She covered the 2015 executions of the two Bali Nine ringleaders and was a Walkley Awards finalist in 2016 for her work on terrorism in Indonesia.

Her first book, Gods and Demons, a memoir about her journalism in Indonesia, was published in 2020 by HarperCollins and released overseas to critical acclaim.

"From the newly jailed, reeling Bali Nine drug gang and the gruesome executions of their condemned bosses, to stories of shackled people, infamous terrorists, powerful tycoons and lavish royal celebrations, Cassrels reveals a hidden side to the mystical Hindu paradise and vast Indonesian archipelago in which all is not as it seems."

Previously a features writer on The Weekend Australian Magazine, she contributes to The Australian Financial Review, The Times of London, The Guardian UK and Australia, The Jewish Independent, The South China Morning Post, The Market Herald and SBS. Her work has also appeared in The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age, and for AAP.

Beginning her career as a reporter for The New Zealand Herald, she moved to Australia in the mid-1980s to work for The Australian and The Courier-Mail. Previously, she freelanced in the US, Europe and Central America. Deborah currently contributes to The Australian.

Come and join us for a much needed night of connection and expansive conversation. Bring your friends or come alone and meet other fabulous women.

About Our Venue: The Bellevue Hotel

Bellevue Hotel

We will be hosting this incredible event upstairs at The Bellevue hotel. Arrive a bit earlier and enjoy dinner and drinks in this lovely light filled space. The menu offers a range of excellent tasty pub classics, including Taco Tuesday with two mouthwatering tacos, flavours change weekly to keep things fresh PLUS a margarita. All for just $20. OR Pizza Slab: $20 for a large rotating weekly flavour slab starting at 5:00 PM. Forget making dinner, bring a friend or your mama posse for a perfect night out.

PLEASE NOTE: These events have all sold out in the past, please get your ticket sooner than later as there will be limited spots.

At Mama Creatives we have organised an amazing year of events, online and offline - we can't wait to see you!

Contact the host of An Evening with Deborah Cassrels, Acclaimed Journalist, Foreign Correspondent & Author