The Australian Women's Register

Gervay’s published books include Butterflies, a story about burns disability; The Cave, a rite of passage novel for boys; and I am Jack, which deals with bullying in schools. Her books are endorsed and used by organizations including the Children’s Hospital Sydney, Life Education Australia, the NSW Cancer Council, Better Buddies (The Alannah and Madeline Foundation), and the Cancer Council. They have also been highly commended in Children’s Literature Prizes for Peace and the Family Therapists’ Award for Children. Formerly a consultant and anti-drug educator, Gervay is qualified to speak on children’s development and has spoken voluntarily in Outreach programs for the Westmead Children’s Hospital’s Burn Unit, as well as providing free anti-bullying consultancy services for Life Education Australia.

An entrepreneur, Gervay owns The Hughenden Hotel in Sydney, and readily offers it as a venue for writers, illustrators, librarians and teachers. The Hughenden houses a permanent exhibition of Australian illustrators, and here Gervay has hosted exhibitions, book launches and international authors, usually at her own expense, as a way of showcasing and supporting new talent. She belongs to ‘Network’, a creative arts group, and acts as a mentor, reviewer and interviewer of less experienced authors. She promotes Network authors and illustrators by listing them on The Hughenden’s website. Equipped with a double Masters degree, Gervay is frequently drawn upon as a key note speaker at conferences for librarians, writers, teachers and parents alike. She was a finalist in the AWG/Film Commission Mentorship scheme and the recipient of a Literature Board Fellowship at Varuna.

Other works by Gervay include Superjack (2003); Victoria’s a Star (1996); Shadows of Olive Trees (1996); Next Stop the Moon (1995); and Jamie’s a Hero (1994). In 2007 she released That’s Why I Wrote This Song, a story with music, in collaboration with her daughter. She was nominated for the Nan Chauncy Award in 2006 by Hazel Edwards (National Literacy Champion 2006), Krista Bell and Jen McVeity.