Susanne Gervay advocates that feminism is never about men against women. It is about gender equity and opportunity. As an author, educational consultant and activist, Susanne Gervay has lived the second rise of feminism and now the #MeToo campaign.
Her books which address all ages from pre-school to young adults, empower young people to engage in feminism and human rights. You’ll find Susanne at the Istanbul Literary Festival speaking to thousands of young adults about women’s rights when Turkey is facing terrorism and threats to democracy. You’ll find her in remote indigenous communities empowering women elders and children through her stories. Her powerful speech at the World Burn Conference in New York on her novel Butterflies addressed feminism and disability. In a juvenile detention centre, Susanne shared her books inspiring teenage girls who deserve a future.
She was awarded the Social Justice Literature Award for her body of works by the International Literacy Association. She has also been awarded an Order of Australia for youth literature, is a nominee for the Astrid Lindgren Award 2020 and a writer ambassador for Room to Read with its affirmative action for girls in developing countries. When the Museum of Australia asked Susanne to write a story for young people from 7 to 10 on the second rise of feminism, she wrote Daisy Sunshine. Her young adult novel Shadows of Olive Trees lays bare feminism. This makes Gervay the first writer to reinterpret the lived experience of young women in the seventies for an audience of young readers today. Susanne is a national and international speaker, ambassador for literacy and social justice organisations.
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