Jessie Stephens
{{Short description|Australian writer, television presenter, and podcast host}}
{{Use Australian English|date=May 2024}}
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| birth_date = 1990{{Cite news|url=https://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/life-and-relationships/we-re-a-bit-competitive-the-twins-navigating-life-love-and-the-same-workplace-20210203-p56z89.html |title='The interdependence isn't healthy': the twins navigating life, love – and the same workplace |last=Wood |first=Stephanie |date=26 March 2021 |work=The Sydney Morning Herald |access-date=7 May 2024}}
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| occupation = {{bulleted list|Author|Novellist|Editor|Television presenter|Podcast host}}
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Jessie Stephens (born 21 December 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.{{cite web |url=https://www.mamamia.com.au/author/jessie-stephens-2/ |title=Jessie Stephens: Executive Editor |author= |date= |website=Mamamia |publisher= |access-date=7 May 2024 |quote=}}
Stephens majored in Modern History and Gender Studies at the University of Sydney, and has a Master of Research.{{cite web |url=https://hashtagthinkspo.wordpress.com/2013/01/24/hello/ |title=About |author= |date= |website=Thinkspo |publisher= |access-date=7 May 2024 |quote=}}
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.{{cite magazine |last=Hogan |first=Tamara |date=October 2019 |title=What Women Want |url=https://issuu.com/duomagazine/docs/duo_issue_155_september___october_2019/s/159851 |magazine=Duo |issue=155 |location=Ayr, Queensland |publisher=Burdekin Local News |access-date=7 May 2024}} They toured in 2018 (Tamworth, Newcastle, Melbourne, Brisbane, Sydney, Dubbo),{{cite web |url=https://www.facebook.com/groups/outlouders/events |title=Events |author=Mamamia Team |date=7 September 2022 |website=Facebook |publisher= |access-date=7 May 2024 |quote=}} 2019 (Hobart, Brisbane, Perth, Darwin, Adelaide, Cairns, Orange, Geelong, Sydney),{{cite web |url=https://www.mamamia.com.au/events/ |title=Upcoming Events |author= |date= |website=Mamamia |publisher= |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190801032203/https://www.mamamia.com.au/events/ |archive-date=2019-08-01}} 2022 (Orange, Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne Sydney),{{cite web |url=https://www.mamamia.com.au/mamamia-out-loud-live/ |title=Buy your ticket to the Mamamia Out Loud Live tour. |author=Mamamia Team |date=7 September 2022 |website=Mamamia |publisher= |access-date=7 May 2024 |quote=}} and 2024 (Brisbane, Melbourne, Sydney).{{cite web |url=https://www.mamamia.com.au/outloud/ |title=Everything you need to know about our brand new live show. |author=Mamamia Team |date=13 March 2024 |website=Mamamia |publisher= |access-date=7 May 2024 |quote=}}{{cite web |url=https://www.outloudlive.com.au/ |title=Mamamia Out Loud LIVE |author= |date= |website=Mamamia Out Loud LIVE |publisher=Mamamia |access-date=7 May 2024 |quote=}}
Stephens is also a regular presenter on television current affairs and talk show The Project.{{cite web |url=https://creativerep.com.au/artists/jessie-stephens/ |title=Jessie Stephens |author= |date= |website=Creative Representation |publisher= |access-date=7 May 2024 |quote=}}
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){{cite web |url=https://www.panmacmillan.com.au/9781760988104/ |title=Heartsick: Three Stories About Love And Loss, And What Happens In Between |author= |date= |website=Macmillan (Australia) |publisher= |access-date=7 May 2024 |quote=}} and a novel, Something Bad is Going to Happen (2023).{{cite web |url=https://www.panmacmillan.com.au/9781761561801/ |title=Something Bad is Going to Happen |author= |date= |website=Macmillan (Australia) |publisher= |access-date=7 May 2024 |quote=}}
Heartsick was received very favourably. It was voted #8 in Booktopia's Favourite Australian Book (FAB) award for 2021{{cite web |url=https://investors.booktopia.com.au/FormBuilder/_Resource/_module/vrBteuGFB0yHjbu24ovELQ/file/company-news/Nats-What-I-Reckon-wins-Booktopias-FAB-Award-2021.pdf |title=Nat's the way to do it! Social media sensation Nat's What I Reckon wins Booktopia's Favourite Australian Book Award |author= |date= |website=Booktopia |publisher= |access-date=7 May 2024 |quote=}} and was included in the top 101 recommended books for 2022 by major Australian bookseller Dymocks.{{cite web |url=https://www.dymocks.com.au/books/recommend-top-101-2022/page-4/ |title=TOP 101 2022 |author= |date= |website=Dymocks |publisher= |access-date=7 May 2024 |quote=}} 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{{cite web |url=https://www.panmacmillan.com/authors/jessie-stephens/heartsick/9781529084214 |title=Heartsick: Three Stories About Love And Loss, And What Happens In Between |author= |date= |website=Macmillan (UK) |publisher= |access-date=7 May 2024 |quote=}} and by Henry Holt in the US.{{cite web |url=https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250838360/heartsick |title=Heartsick: Three Stories About Love And Loss, And What Happens In Between |author= |date= |website=Macmillan (US) |publisher= |access-date=7 May 2024 |quote=}} 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."{{Cite news|url=https://glamadelaide.com.au/book-review-heartsick-by-jessie-stephens/ |title=Book Review: Heartsick, by Jessie Stephens |last=Wu |first=Rebecca |date=14 January 2022 |work=Glam Adelaide|access-date=7 May 2024}} 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."{{Cite news|url=https://www.theaureview.com/books/book-review-heartsick-offers-hope-to-the-heartbroken-but-not-much-in-the-way-of-healing/ |title=Book Review: Heartsick offers hope to the heartbroken but not much in the way of healing |last=Paull |first=Emily |date=11 May 2021 |work=The AU Review|access-date=7 May 2024}}
The enthusiastic reception of the book in the US led Sue Smethurst in The Australian to call Stephens "our [Australian literature's] next big thing".{{Cite news|url=https://www.theaustralian.com.au/arts/review/heartsick-author-jessie-stephens-is-our-next-big-thing/news-story/28e9b3a139a3c157e8f089c37888304e?amp&nk=a74846e8619e95d50a5e844b2d46dee3-1715136499 |title=Heartsick author Jessie Stephens is our next big thing |last=Smethurst |first=Sue |date=17 September 2021 |work=The Australian |access-date=7 May 2024}}
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",{{cite web |url=https://www.abc.net.au/qanda/jessie-stephens-2023/102756908 |title=Jessie Stephens |author= |date= |website=Q+A |publisher=Australian Broadcasting Corporation |access-date=7 May 2024 |quote=}} and Alexandra Hill in The Australian called it "a very important new release."{{Cite news|url=https://www.theaustralian.com.au/arts/review/jessie-stephenss-new-book-something-bad-is-going-to-happen-examines-the-mental-health-struggles-of-young-australians/news-story/da195a6324a83b7b246a3a32f6573e79 |title=Jessie Stephens’s new book Something Bad is Going to Happen examines the mental health struggles of young Australians |last=Hill |first=Alexandra |date=1 September 2023 |work=The Australian |access-date=7 May 2024}}
Personal life
Stephens' identical twin sister, Clare Stephens, also works for Mamamia. In 2023, Jessie married Luca Lavigne, son of Mamamia founder Mia Freedman.{{cite web |url=https://www.mamamia.com.au/mia-freedman-mother-in-law/ |title=My boss is about to become my mother-in-law. So I wrote a list of 7 rules for her to follow. |author=Jessie Stephens |date=17 November 2022 |website=Mamamia |publisher= |access-date=7 May 2024 |quote=}}{{cite web |url=https://www.mamamia.com.au/pregnant-bride-wedding/ |title='I got married at 6 months pregnant. Here's what I wish someone told me.' |author=Jessie Stephens |date=14 June 2023 |website=Mamamia |publisher= |access-date=7 May 2024 |quote=}} The couple's first child, Luna, was born later that year.{{cite web |url=https://www.mamamia.com.au/jessie-stephens-luna-the-first-six-weeks/ |title=JESSIE STEPHENS: Why it’s so hard to tell the truth, the whole truth, about the first six weeks. |author=Jessie Stephens |date=17 August 2023 |website=Mamamia |publisher= |access-date=7 May 2024 |quote=}}
References
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Category:Australian columnists
Category:Australian women columnists
Category:Australian television personalities
Category:Australian women editors
Category:21st-century Australian women writers
Category:21st-century Australian writers