Susanne Gervay facts for kids

Susanne Julia Gervay is an Australian author. She writes many books for young people. Her stories often help kids understand tough situations.

Susanne is famous for her I Am Jack series. These books are about school bullying. They show how bullying affects both kids and adults. The first I Am Jack book was even turned into a play! This play was created by the Monkey Baa Theatre for Young People. The I Am Jack series includes four books: I Am Jack, Super Jack, Always Jack, and Being Jack.

She also writes powerful books for older teens. These include Butterflies, The Cave, and That's Why I Wrote This Song. For That's Why I Wrote This Song, Susanne worked with her daughter, Tory. Tory wrote and sings the songs that go with the book.

Susanne Gervay's work has appeared in many literary magazines. She is also part of special book collections. She works with groups like the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators. She is a role model for Books in Homes. She also supports the MonkeyBaa Theatre. Susanne has spoken at many festivals around the world. These include events in Bologna, Beijing, and New York.

About Susanne Gervay

Susanne Gervay was born in Sydney, Australia. Her parents came from Hungary after World War II. She went to Daceyville Public School. She also attended SCEGGS Darlinghurst.

Susanne studied at the University of Sydney. She became a teacher. Later, she earned advanced degrees from the University of New South Wales and the University of Technology, Sydney. Susanne also started a special hotel in Sydney called The Hughenden Boutique Hotel. After this, she became a very successful children's author.

Susanne has two children, James and Victoria (also known as Tory). They have inspired many of her stories.

Susanne Gervay is a well-known Australian author. She writes for children and young adults. In 2007, she won the Lady Cutler Award. This award is for great service to children's literature. She also received an Order of Australia Medal in 2011. Her books are supported by many important organizations. These include The Children's Hospital at Westmead. Other groups like Room to Read and Life Education Australia also support her work.

Writing About Bullying

Susanne Gervay is an expert in child development. She was inspired to write I Am Jack after her son experienced school bullying. This book became a best-seller in Australia. It has been translated into languages like Vietnamese and Korean.

The I Am Jack book was made into a play by Monkey Baa Theatre Company. The play has toured all over Australia. It also toured the USA.

Stories About Youth Disability

Susanne Gervay did a lot of research on burns. She worked with the Children's Hospital at Westmead. This helped her write Butterflies. This book is a best-selling young adult novel in Australia. It won an award for Outstanding Youth Literature on Disability. This award came from the International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY). Susanne spoke about Butterflies at the World Burn Conference in New York.

Books by Susanne Gervay

• I Am Jack
• Super Jack
• Always Jack
• Being Jack
• Jamie's A Hero
• Victoria's a Star
• Shadows of Olive Trees
• Next Stop the Moon
• Butterflies
• The Cave
• That's Why I Wrote This Song
• Daisy Sunshine
• Gracie and Josh
• Ships in the Field
• Elephants Have Wings
• Heroes of the Secret Underground

Awards and Recognition

Susanne Gervay has won many awards for her books:

• Winner, Crystal Kite Award for Heroes of the Secret Underground (2022)
• Always Jack won the Australian Family Therapists Award.
• Lady Cutler Award for Services to Children's Literature (2007)
• UTS Professional Achievement Award, Writing (2008)
• The Cave won The Biennial Book Award for YA Literature (2003).
• Super Jack won The Biennial Book Award for Children's Literature (2005).
• I Am Jack was a Notable Book by the Children's Book Council. It was also shortlisted for other awards.
• Butterflies was shortlisted for the Children's Literature Prize for Peace. It won the New York Book Festival Award (2009).
• That's Why I Wrote This Song won the San Francisco Book Festival Award (2009).