Emma Tom is an award-winning Australian journalist, author and broadcaster. She writes a column for The Australian newspaper, has just finished her sixth book and is inching her way through a PhD at the University of New South Wales. After spending many years fielding e-mail from strangers, she has reached two conclusions: 1) no-one agrees on anything; and 2) this drives most people absolutely nuts. Emma thinks the world would be a more pleasant place if punters made an effort to disagree with each other more politely. She also wishes people would stop e-mailing her about her teeth. This is how they’re staying, OK?

The Australian

Emma writes a column in the you-expect-me-to-read-this-on-public-transport? version of The Australian every Saturday. You can read this on other days of the week by clicking here.

Voices of Disbelief

Read about the year Emma Tom was convinced she had pagan-induced leprosy in Voices of Disbelief, an anthology of essays on atheism edited by Russell Blackford and Udo Schuklenk. Other contributors include Peter Singer, Sean Williams,Kelly O’Connor, Christine Overall, JJC Smart, Graham Oppy and James Randi. To be published by Wiley-Blackwell in October, 2009.

Photo of Emma Tom: Richard Weinstein