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Fiona Harris
Corporate, Entertainer, Inspirational Speaker, Online - Virtual Visits, Speaking Out, Storyteller/Performer, Wellbeing
Fiona Harris is an award-winning author, scriptwriter, and performer, with over twenty years’ experience across publishing, television and theatre. She has written a total of 39 books for a range of Australian publishers, including Affirm Press, Allen & Unwin, Scholastic, Bonnier and Walker Books, four of which are to come out in late 2025 and early 2026.
Fiona is an experienced public speaker, and MC, who has been giving school presentations and facilitating writing and performing workshops all over Victoria for fifteen years. She is a regular on ABC radio for several segments including, Life Matters, Too Hard Basket, Ask Aunty andConundrum, with a variety of broadcasters, including Beverley Wang, Raf Epstein, Ali Moore, Trevor Chappell and Bridget Duclos.
Fiona co-created the internationally acclaimed web series The Drop Off, with her husband, Mike McLeish, which was subsequently picked up and screened as a telemovie on channel nine. Fiona’s work spans adult fiction, memoirs, children’s literature, television comedy and musical theatre, making her a dynamic and versatile speaker for festivals, schools, and industry events.
Where were you born?
I grew up in Melbourne’s Western suburbs, in a working-class family, where the most creative anyone got was painting a banner for the local football players to run through in the Grand Final.
What other jobs have you had?
From the time I finished high school until my first full-time job in television at the age of 30, I did every job under the sun from waitressing and bartending, to cleaning houses and working as a courtesy car driver for Brighton Mazda. I also delivered sandwiches to offices in Piccadilly Circus on a bike (mostly through the snow) and dressed in a giant dog suit to hand out flyers in Chadstone Shopping Centre.
What are you passionate about?
I am very passionate about getting the message across to kids that they have the potential to do anything they set out to achieve, especially kids from lower socio-economic backgrounds. I know what it’s like to come from an area where the odds are stacked against you when you want to go down a creative path.
I knew from a young age that I wanted to do something creative with my life but I had no one in my life to support me or inform me on my quest. I was bullied in high school and it took me a long time to realise that it was up to me to ignore the naysayers and negativity and forge ahead with my dreams. I wish someone had come to my school or my area and told me back then that it was ok to be different and to believe in myself, despite what anyone else said or did.
Haven’t I seen you before?
Over the past twelve years I’ve worked professionally as a full-time writer and performer on some of Australia’s best-loved television comedy programs including Skithouse, Comedy Inc – The Late Shift, The Librarians, Mr & Mrs Murder and Offspring. I’ve also written, performed and directed numerous award-winning Melbourne Comedy Festival shows including Footy Chicks, Halo Dolly and Plus One.
The Great Chiko Roll Mystery of 1983 Reel from Fiona Harris on Vimeo.
Testimonials
Fiona Harris presents an entertaining yet informative feature about her career and work in the entertainment field. Following her passion for performing and writing from a young age, Harris documents her adventures from her childhood all the way up to present day with an action packed presentation about her career and where her passions took her.
The presentation was simply incredible, with Harris’s engaging and hilarious personality connecting with young people in a way not many presenters can.
Fiona conducted performance workshops to Year 9 students as part of our school’s writers festival. She successfully managed 30 students in a virtual setting, easily keeping their attention with her witty humour and passion for performance. Even the most timid of students found themselves acting out Fiona’s scripts and having a good laugh. A great session that was high-energy and had everyone actively engaged for the full 60 minutes.
Fiona told an engaging and inspiring story about her childhood and high-school experience including the triumphs and challenges she faced in order to achieve her dreams and follow her passion for the performing arts.
The importance of embracing resilience in the face of adversity was evident throughout Fiona’s speech and I have no doubt many students walked away feeling inspired to dream big and work hard to achieve their career aspirations for the future, no matter the height of the hurdles that stand in your way.
Thank you Fiona for speaking to our Year 11 cohort. It was the perfect start to our day at Queens College!
We asked for a Comedy Writing Workshop and Fiona delivered one that shared all of her great experience in the field of TV comedy and excited the students to explore what they could come up with themselves. Fiona had her framework of what to show the children, but I was so pleased when she ‘read the audience’ and changed it up to suit the needs and interests of those who sat before her. Afterwards, the teachers and students commented to me on how they were so happy to have been a part of Fiona’s session. She engaged the groups and made them feel successful about their own efforts the whole time.
Fiona delivered an energetic, engaging and interesting presentation to the class. The students were hooked from the word go as they were thoroughly engaged with the topics because Fiona was able to build instant rapport with them. Fiona shared her life story with the students in a sincere, authentic and hilarious manner and it was for this reason that the students could identify with her own struggles and successes. Fiona is a natural orator and her stories had us all in stitches. Thank you so much for presenting a discussion about leadership that was creative, down to earth and highly entertaining.
The two successful women, in a hilarious and entertaining way, described their personal journeys of making their dreams come true. Like many of my friends, I feel the pressure of Year 12, and that the constant reminder to ‘be realistic’ forces us to forget our dreams. Their presentation however, made it clear that sticking to your dreams and making your own luck is crucial. Like the other 900 students watching, I can achieve what I want with passion, persistence and a smile.
The messages and value of the presentation were priceless. For me, it re-enforced the possibility of achieving my goals and ambitions in a way that those two accomplished women had done by imply having a natural spark and determination.