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Jessie Stephens

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Australian writer, television presenter, and podcast host

Jessie Stephens
Born1990
Occupations
  • Author
  • Novellist
  • Editor
  • Television presenter
  • Podcast host

Jessie Stephens (born 21 November 1990) is an Australian writer, editor, novelist, television presenter and podcast host. She is an executive editor for Mamamia's flagship podcast Mamamia Out Loud and co-hosts the show with Mia Freedman and Holly Wainwright.

Stephens majored in Modern History and Gender Studies at the University of Sydney, and has a Master of Research.

She joined the staff of Mamamia as an editorial assistant in 2015.

Stephens has toured with her Mamamia Out Loud co-hosts as they present live shows in a similar format to the podcast to audiences around Australia. They toured in 2018 (Tamworth, Newcastle, Melbourne, Brisbane, Sydney, Dubbo), 2019 (Hobart, Brisbane, Perth, Darwin, Adelaide, Cairns, Orange, Geelong, Sydney), 2022 (Orange, Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne Sydney), and 2024 (Brisbane, Melbourne, Sydney).

Stephens is also a regular presenter on television current affairs and talk show The Project.

Books

Stephens is the author of two books published by Pan Australia: the non-fiction book Heartsick: Three Stories About Love And Loss, And What Happens In Between (2021) and a novel, Something Bad is Going to Happen (2023).

Heartsick was received very favourably. It was voted #8 in Booktopia's Favourite Australian Book (FAB) award for 2021 and was included in the top 101 recommended books for 2022 by major Australian bookseller Dymocks. It was also shortlisted as general nonfiction book of the year at the Australian Book Industry Awards in 2022. It was published internationally by Pan Macmillan in the UK and by Henry Holt in the US. Reviewer Rebecca Wu in Glam Adelaide highlighted Stephens' "wonderful skill of interweaving seemingly ordinary occasions of life in a way that tells a story without any drudgery. In fact, she makes it enticing." Although Emily Paull's review in The AU Review was generally unfavourable, she acknowledged that "the ideas behind the book are strong, and that there is a need for more books which examine the not so happy endings in life, and don't hold romantic partnerships up to be the thing that completes us as humans."

The enthusiastic reception of the book in the US led Sue Smethurst in The Australian to call Stephens "our next big thing".

Something Bad is Going to Happen deals with themes of the mental health of its young protagonists. For this, it has been likened to "a modern-day Bell Jar", and Alexandra Hill in The Australian called it "a very important new release."

Personal life

Stephens' identical twin sister, Clare Stephens, also works for Mamamia. In 2023, Jessie married Luca Lavigne, son of Mamamia founder Mia Freedman. The couple's first child, Luna, was born later that year.

References

  1. ^ Wood, Stephanie (26 March 2021). "'The interdependence isn't healthy': the twins navigating life, love – and the same workplace". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 7 May 2024.
  2. "Jessie Stephens: Executive Editor". Mamamia. Retrieved 7 May 2024.
  3. ^ "About". Thinkspo. Retrieved 7 May 2024.
  4. Hogan, Tamara (October 2019). "What Women Want". Duo. No. 155. Ayr, Queensland: Burdekin Local News. Retrieved 7 May 2024.
  5. Mamamia Team (7 September 2022). "Events". Facebook. Retrieved 7 May 2024.
  6. "Upcoming Events". Mamamia. Archived from the original on 2019-08-01.
  7. Mamamia Team (7 September 2022). "Buy your ticket to the Mamamia Out Loud Live tour". Mamamia. Retrieved 7 May 2024.
  8. Mamamia Team (13 March 2024). "Everything you need to know about our brand new live show". Mamamia. Retrieved 7 May 2024.
  9. "Mamamia Out Loud LIVE". Mamamia Out Loud LIVE. Mamamia. Retrieved 7 May 2024.
  10. "Jessie Stephens". Creative Representation. Retrieved 7 May 2024.
  11. ^ "Heartsick: Three Stories About Love And Loss, And What Happens In Between". Macmillan (Australia). Retrieved 7 May 2024.
  12. "Something Bad is Going to Happen". Macmillan (Australia). Retrieved 7 May 2024.
  13. "Nat's the way to do it! Social media sensation Nat's What I Reckon wins Booktopia's Favourite Australian Book Award" (PDF). Booktopia. Retrieved 7 May 2024.
  14. "TOP 101 2022". Dymocks. Retrieved 7 May 2024.
  15. "Heartsick: Three Stories About Love And Loss, And What Happens In Between". Macmillan (UK). Retrieved 7 May 2024.
  16. "Heartsick: Three Stories About Love And Loss, And What Happens In Between". Macmillan (US). Retrieved 7 May 2024.
  17. Wu, Rebecca (14 January 2022). "Book Review: Heartsick, by Jessie Stephens". Glam Adelaide. Retrieved 7 May 2024.
  18. Paull, Emily (11 May 2021). "Book Review: Heartsick offers hope to the heartbroken but not much in the way of healing". The AU Review. Retrieved 7 May 2024.
  19. Smethurst, Sue (17 September 2021). "Heartsick author Jessie Stephens is our next big thing". The Australian. Retrieved 7 May 2024.
  20. "Jessie Stephens". Q+A. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 7 May 2024.
  21. Hill, Alexandra (1 September 2023). "Jessie Stephens's new book Something Bad is Going to Happen examines the mental health struggles of young Australians". The Australian. Retrieved 7 May 2024.
  22. Jessie Stephens (17 November 2022). "My boss is about to become my mother-in-law. So I wrote a list of 7 rules for her to follow". Mamamia. Retrieved 7 May 2024.
  23. Jessie Stephens (14 June 2023). "'I got married at 6 months pregnant. Here's what I wish someone told me.'". Mamamia. Retrieved 7 May 2024.
  24. Jessie Stephens (17 August 2023). "JESSIE STEPHENS: Why it's so hard to tell the truth, the whole truth, about the first six weeks". Mamamia. Retrieved 7 May 2024.
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