Michelle Vasiliu
Michelle Vasiliu is an award-winning writer of books for children. Her first picture book, “My Happy Sad Mummy”, released in 2014, has helped many people as it is a book about mental illness for very young children. Inspired by her own experiences, this quality book helps demystify mental illness in a sensitive and age-appropriate manner.
Michelle has written twelve books for children since her first, the chapter book, “Karate Kevin”, was published by Insight Publications in 2006. These are mainly a mix of fiction and non-fiction educational books for late-primary and early-secondary children, published with UC Publishing, ACER Press, and Thomas Learning (now called Cengage Australia). Details of these books can be found on her website: www.michellevasiliu.com
Michelle has written twelve books for children since her first, the chapter book, “Karate Kevin”, was published by Insight Publications in 2006. These are mainly a mix of fiction and non-fiction educational books for late-primary and early-secondary children, published with UC Publishing, ACER Press, and Thomas Learning (now called Cengage Australia). Details of these books can be found on her website: www.michellevasiliu.com
Michelle’s latest release, the non-fiction title “Let’s Grow Some Beans” by MONDO publishing, was released in the US in 2018. Her next picture book, “Together Things”, about a father who has depression, will be published by EK Books in 2020.
Besides having published multiple books, some other notable achievements for Michelle include:
Besides having published multiple books, some other notable achievements for Michelle include:
- “My Happy Sad Mummy” is on the NSW Premier’s Reading Challenge list.
- In 2016, “My Happy Sad Mummy” won the Australian Association of Family Therapy Twenty-ninth Annual Awards for children’s picture books.
- Michelle’s junior fiction story, “Our Dog Olly”, placed second in the 2011 CYA Conference Writing and Illustration Competition.
- “Fire Ready”, a chapter-book published by Thomas Learning Australia in 2008, has sold over 30,000 copies worldwide.
- Early in her writing career (2007), Michelle won a writing mentorship program, run by the Stonnington City Council in partnership with the May Gibbs Children’s Literature Trust, where she was mentored by award winning author/illustrators Sally Rippin and Kevin Burgemeestre.
- Michelle holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree and a Diploma in Education (Secondary). She has completed a short course in children's writing at Chisholm TAFE and is a qualified Workplace Trainer and Assessor.
