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Gabrielle Wang

Author, Illustrator

Gabrielle Wang is an award winning author and illustrator of novels and picture books for children and young adults. She was born in Melbourne of Chinese heritage. As a result, Gabrielle’s books are a blend of both Australian and Chinese culture with a touch of fantasy. She has conducted workshops in writing and illustrating around Australia and overseas.

Where were you born?

I was born in Melbourne and am fourth generation Chinese Australian. In my twenties I decided to go in search of my ‘roots’ as I did not grow up speaking Chinese and knew little about the culture. I lived in Taiwan for five years where I studied Chinese language and brush painting and then moved to China for two years where I continued my painting studies.

What other jobs have you had?

I was a graphic designer in Melbourne. When I moved overseas, I taught English as a second language. Back in Australia I lectured in Chinese at RMIT for nine years before becoming a full time author.

What themes are recurring in your work?

As I am Chinese Australian, my work is greatly influenced by my experiences growing up between two cultures. Recurring themes are – friendship, family, finding your place in the world, fitting in, and the healing power of art. My stories are often set in the real world but have a touch of fantasy and the supernatural.

What are you passionate about?

I am passionate about creating understanding between cultures. Reading fiction allows children to see the world through someone else’s eyes.

Testimonials

We were fortunate to have Gabrielle Wang present to all of our students from Reception (5 year olds) through to year 7 via zoom. She seemlessly adapted each presentation to meet the needs of the different age groups to ensure that the content was engaging and pitched at the right level for the different age groups.
Through her presentation children learnt about Australian history, the development of her connections with her Chinese heritage, her books, the importance of persistence, drafts and believing in yourself.
It is unusual to have a presenter that can effectively go from working with very young children to teenagers and with the added challenge of doing this in a virtual platform. Gabrielle did this with ease and brought a unique blend of kindness, energy, passion and knowledge to the presentation.
—-Hajnalka Molloy, Leader of Campus Library and Information Services, Aberfoyle Park Primary School Campus, August 2020

The girls were so interested hearing Gabrielle speak. She was engaging, interesting, and we all thought she was so, so talented. Was a treat for us to have her.

Just a big thank you to the team at Booked Out who made suggestions for our Book Week visiting authors last week. They were all spot on!

—M. Wildie, Korowa Anglican Girls' School, August 2017

Gabrielle has visited our school for the past three years and run her Chinese watercolour painting session with our year 7s. This complements the text that they study at this year level, Chinese Cinderella. Gabrielle is a true professional with a wonderful instructional manner. She incorporates her Chinese heritage into the workshops beautifully and has the students spellbound. The lovely thing about her sessions is that being able to produce a credible Chinese watercolour at the end of the session is well within the grasp of every student.

—J. Doubleday, Luther College, September 2013

I just wanted to thank you again for the wonderful workshops you did with the girls. They were spot on in terms of content and variety and I know were an inspiration to all our aspiring writers and illustrators! Sharing so many of your own personal experiences really connected the writing process to the real world for the girls and they all thoroughly enjoyed your stories and hearing about where you get your inspiration and ideas from. Drawing Peng was also a huge favourite!

—R. Cameron, Teacher Librarian, Ascham School, August 2011

Just wanted to say how much we enjoyed our author visits by Gabrielle Wang. Gabrielle was just delightful with our students and I know they really enjoyed  the sessions. Gabrielle even created a special session for our boys, focusing on their interests and it was just great.  It was really lovely of her to do that.

—W. Logan, Ivanhoe Grammar, June 2011

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