A second generation daughter of post World War II Hungarian refugees, Gervay was born in Sydney. One of three children, an older brother and a younger sister, she was the middle child. Her parents like other refugees were grateful to be accepted by Australia, after escaping from Hungary. They worked long hours, eventually establishing a small clothing factory. The migrant experience, family, her parents, growing up, world issues would influence her writing.

Gervay went to University of Sydney and became a teacher. She had two children James and Tory who are the inspiration for a lot of her writing. She completed a Master of Education (University of New South Wales) and a Master of Arts (University of Technology, Sydney). She decided to follow her two dreams ... the creation with her mother and sister of the Hughenden, a literary and arts hotel in historic Sydney and becoming an author.

Gervay is a recognised Australian author of children's and young adult literature. She was awarded the Lady Cutler Award for Distinguished Services to Children's Literature in 2007. Her books are endorsed by organisations including The Children's Hospital at Westmead, Sydney, Room to Read, Life Education Australia, The Alannah & Madeline Foundation.

Susanne is one of the three inaugural patrons of Monkey Baa Theatre for Young People, together with Jackie French and Morris Gleitzman.

As a mother of Jack, a specialist in child growth & development and author, she was inspired by a son's experience of school bullying, to write I Am Jack. It has become an Australian best-seller and has been translated into other languages including Vietnamese, Bahasa and Korean. I Am Jack has been adapted by Money Baa Theatre Company into a play. It is now published in the USA by Tricycle an imprint of RandomHouse USA.

Gervay researched burns extensively working with the Children’s Hospital Westmead, Sydney to write Butterflies which is a best selling Australian YA title, awarded Outstanding Youth Literature on Disability by the International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY). Susanne Gervay is addressing the World Burn Conference in New York in August 2009 on Butterflies.

Books

• I Am Jack
• Super Jack
• Jamie's A Hero
• Shadows of Olive Trees
• Butterflies
• The Cave
• That's Why I Wrote This Song
• Daisy Sunshine
• Always Jack - To be released in October 2010.

Literary journals

• Southerly
• Mattoid
• Westerly
• Quadrant
• Voices (National Library ACT)