Michelle Law

Law was born on the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, as the fifth of five children to immigrant parents from Hong Kong and Malaysia.{{Cite web|url=https://www.wheelercentre.com/people/jenny-phang|title=Jenny Phang|website=The Wheeler Centre|access-date=2019-02-04}} She attended Sunshine Coast school Immanuel Lutheran College, Buderim throughout her school years.grimace...{{Cite web|url=https://www.immanuel.qld.edu.au/community/old-scholars|title=Old Scholars|date=10 January 2022}}

She completed a Bachelor of Fine Arts in creative writing at the Queensland University of Technology.{{Cite book|title=Growing up Asian in Australia|publisher=Black Inc., an imprint of Schwartz Media Pty Ltd|year=2008|isbn=978-1-86395-191-3|editor-last=Pung|editor-first=Alice|location=Melbourne, Victoria, Australia|page=346}}//

She wrote the adolescent-themed short film Bloomers, released in 2013, which was completed through successful crowdfunding and Screen Australia's Short Film Completion Fund.{{Cite journal|url=https://www.screenaustralia.gov.au/getmedia/4d2db2f5-bdea-4b29-881a-b0e79b6e4663/SA-Annual-Report-2012-2013.pdf?ext=.pdf|title=Screen Australia Annual Report 2012/13|journal=Annual Report|publisher=Screen Australia|year=2013|location=Ultimo, N.S.W.|page=42|issn=1837-2740}}

She presented on the topic of co-authorship with her brother Benjamin Law, as part of the Literary Friendship series at the 2014 Sydney Writers' Festival.{{Cite news|title=Literary friendships thrive in solitary pursuit of writing| last=Morris| first=Linda| date=14 May 2014|work=The Sydney Morning Herald|page=14}}

Her 2017 play, Single Asian Female, a comedy about a Chinese-Australian family,{{Cite news|title=Make 'em laugh| last=Garry| first=Maddox|date=5 September 2017|work=The Sydney Morning Herald|page=24}} was considered to be groundbreaking in Australian theatre, as it featured three Chinese-Australian women in leading roles.{{Cite news|url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-02-08/single-asian-female-play-shouldnt-be-revolutionary/8249636|title=Single Asian Female play 'shouldn't be revolutionary, but is'|date=8 February 2017|work=ABC News|access-date=16 November 2017|language=en-AU}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2017/feb/10/single-asian-female-shakes-up-monocultural-australian-theatre|title=Single Asian Female shakes up monocultural Australian theatre|last=Convery|first=Stephanie|date=10 February 2017|work=The Guardian|access-date=16 November 2017|language=en-GB|issn=0261-3077}} It opened at Brisbane's Roundhouse Theatre for La Boite Theatre Company in February 2017, and at Sydney's Belvoir St Theatre in February 2018.{{Cite news|url=http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/stage/single-asian-female-michelle-law-alex-lee-and-courtney-stewart-talk-gender-race-and-sex-on-stage-20180122-h0m72i.html|title=Single Asian Female: How Michelle Law is changing the face of theatre|last=Rugendyke|first=Louise|date=2018-01-27|work=The Sydney Morning Herald|access-date=2018-02-03|language=en-US}}

In August 2017, Law was commissioned by SBS Television and Screen Australia to co-write a comedy drama series, Homecoming Queens.{{Cite news|url=https://mumbrella.com.au/screen-australia-invests-homecoming-queens-series-sbs-demand-464160|title=Screen Australia invests in Homecoming Queens series for SBS On Demand - Mumbrella|date=11 August 2017|work=Mumbrella|access-date=16 November 2017|language=en-US}} She co-wrote the semi-autobiographical series, which focuses on two friends with chronic illness living in Queensland, with Chloë Reeson.{{Cite web|url=https://www.qt.com.au/news/binge-worthy-series-tackles-illness-heart-and-humo/3383725/|title=Binge-worthy series tackles illness with heart and humour|last=Cronin|first=Seanna|date=12 April 2018|website=Queensland Times|language=en|access-date=2019-02-01}} It premiered on SBS on Demand in April 2018, with Law playing the part of "Michelle Low" and Liv Hewson playing the part of Chloë Reeson.{{Cite news|url=http://junkee.com/michelle-law-homecoming-queens/118016|title=Michelle Law On Her New SBS Series Homecoming Queens|date=17 August 2017|work=Junkee|access-date=16 November 2017|language=en-US}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.sbs.com.au/guide/article/2018/03/21/sex-drugs-and-chronic-illness-meet-homecoming-queens|title=Sex, Drugs and… chronic illness? Meet the Homecoming Queens|date=21 March 2018|website=Guide|language=en|access-date=2019-02-01}}

Law's play Top Coat, a body swap comedy, was staged by Sydney Theatre Company, directed by Courtney Stewart,{{cite web | last=Story | first=Hannah | title=Sydney Theatre Company and Griffin Theatre Company reshape Australian theatre with works by Asian Australian women | website=ABC News| publisher= Australian Broadcasting Corporation | date=22 June 2022 | url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-06-23/sydney-theatre-company-top-coat-griffin-theatre-golden-blood/101168796 | access-date=23 June 2022}} from 26 June to 6 August 2022.{{cite web | title=Top Coat | website=Sydney Theatre Company | url=https://www.sydneytheatre.com.au/whats-on/productions/2022/top-coat | access-date=23 June 2022}}

{{as of|2022}} Law is based in Sydney, New South Wales.{{cite web | title=About | website=Michelle Law | url=http://michelle-law.com/about/ | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220623062339/http://michelle-law.com/about/ | archive-date=23 June 2022 | url-status=live | access-date=23 June 2022}}

In December 2021 Law presented a talk on alopecia and A bald woman's guide to survival at the empowerment-themed TEDxSouthBankWomen event.{{YouTube|lrJom48KQA4|A bald woman's guide to survival}}

Law is an ambassador for the Emerging Writers' Festival.{{Cite news|url=http://www.emergingwritersfestival.org.au/michelle-law-writing-hard-work/|title=Michelle Law: writing is hard work {{!}} Emerging Writers' Festival|date=7 April 2017|work=Emerging Writers' Festival|access-date=16 November 2017|language=en-US}}

In April 2012, Law was selected as part of Youth Arts Queensland's JUMP Mentoring Program.{{Cite news|title=Getting a JUMP start on an artistic career|date=2 April 2012|work=MX Brisbane|page=4}}

She won an AWGIE in 2012 in the Interactive Media category, for her screenwriting on SLiDE.{{Cite web|url=https://awg.com.au/view/2021-winners/|title=AWG - Announcing this year's AWGIE Award winners|website=Australian Writers Guild|language=en|access-date=16 November 2017}}

She was a runner-up in the Written Word Category in the Qantas 2013 Spirit of Youth Awards (SOYA 365).{{Cite web|url=https://www.qantasnewsroom.com.au/media-releases/qantas-announces-soya-written-word-winner/|title=Qantas announces SOYA Written Word winner |website=Qantas News Room|language=en|access-date=17 November 2017}}

In 2013, she received funding towards her writing career through the Australia Council's ArtStart program.{{cn|date=June 2022}}

In 2015, she was commissioned to write a Brisbane-themed poem for the Brisbane Poetry Map.{{Cite web|url=https://brisbanepoetrymap.com/category/featured-poets/|title=Featured Poets |website= Brisbane Poetry Map|language=en-AU|access-date=17 November 2017}}

In 2016, she won one of the Queensland Premier's Young Publishers and Writers Awards at the Queensland Literary Awards.{{Cite web|url=http://www.qldliteraryawards.org.au/winners/2016-winners|title=2016 Queensland Literary Award winners|date=October 2016|access-date=16 November 2017|archive-date=8 October 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171008234629/http://www.qldliteraryawards.org.au/winners/2016-winners}}

Law was portrayed by actress Vivian Wei in the comedy TV series The Family Law (2016-2017), written by her brother Benjamin.{{cn|date=June 2022}}

She has previously worked at Brisbane's Avid Reader bookshop.{{Cite web|url=https://www.awmonline.com.au/taking-five-with-michelle-law/|title=Taking five with Michelle Law|last=Wilkshire|first=T.J.|date=4 October 2016|website=The Australian Writer's Marketplace|access-date=4 February 2018}} In June 2017, Men's Rights Activists targeted the bookshop with online downvoting, because it shared news about Clementine Ford's second book.{{Cite news|url=http://junkee.com/mens-rights-activists-bookstore/109988|title=MRAs Went After A Brisbane Bookstore And It Has Backfired Spectacularly|date=2017-06-27|work=Junkee|access-date=2018-02-04|language=en-US}} Michelle and her brother Ben advocated for the bookshop, which effectively combated the downvotes by garnering hundreds of positive five-star reviews from the bookshop's supporters.{{Cite news|url=https://www.smartcompany.com.au/marketing/social-media/brisbane-bookshop-avid-reader-fights-back-after-against-hundreds-of-one-star-facebook-reviews/|title=Brisbane bookshop Avid Reader fights back against hundreds of one-star Facebook reviews: Three lessons on fighting trolls - SmartCompany|date=2017-06-28|work=SmartCompany|access-date=2018-02-04|language=en-US}}

In October 2017, one of her tweets was featured in a Sydney Morning Herald article, decrying the online abuse from HSC students towards poet Ellen van Neerven.{{Cite news|url=http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/indigenous-poet-ellen-van-neerven-subject-to-online-abuse-by-students-after-hsc-english-exam-20171016-gz24g4.html|title=Indigenous poet Ellen van Neerven subject to online abuse by students after HSC English exam|last=Taylor|first=Andrew|date=16 October 2017|work=The Sydney Morning Herald|access-date=17 November 2017|language=en-US}}

In November 2017, she tweeted{{Cite web|url=https://twitter.com/ms_michellelaw/status/932942517535875073/|title=Nothing but respect for MY #BirdOfTheYearpic.twitter.com/EP3ifyNgly|last=Law|first=Michelle|date=21 Nov 2017|website=@ms_michellelaw|language=en|access-date=2018-02-04}} to The Guardian's "Australian Bird of the Year" poll with an Australian version of the "Nothing but respect for my president" meme.{{Cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2017/dec/31/when-2017-got-ridiculous-australias-best-memes-came-to-the-rescue|title=When 2017 got ridiculous, Australia's best memes came to the rescue|last=Zhou|first=Naaman|date=2017-12-31|website=the Guardian|language=en|access-date=2018-02-04}}

In February 2018, Law tweeted about the inappropriateness of "Wonton of Laughs", a show in the BrisAsia Festival. The show's promotional poster appeared to depict Asian comedians floating in a bowl of wonton soup.{{Cite news|url=https://www.sbs.com.au/news/asian-australian-writer-michelle-law-hits-out-at-extremely-tone-deaf-comedy-poster|title=Asian-Australian writer Michelle Law hits out at 'extremely tone deaf' comedy poster|work=SBS News|access-date=2018-02-03|language=en-GB}}

Law has written for Seizure,{{Cite web|url=http://www.seizureonline.com/content/pauline-hanson|title=Pauline Hanson|last=Law|first=Michelle|date=28 July 2015|website=Seizure|access-date=18 November 2017}} Meanjin (2012),{{Cite journal|last=Law|first=Michelle|date=Summer 2012|title=Leaving|journal=Meanjin|volume= 71| issue = 4|pages=13–15|via=Informit}} Screen Education (June 2014),{{Cite journal|last=Law|first=Michelle|date=June 2014|title=Sisters doin' it for themselves|journal=Screen Education|volume=74|pages=16–25|via=Informit/Factiva}} Peril: An Asian-Australian Journal (December 2015),{{Cite journal|last=Law|first=Michelle|date=8 December 2015|title=Yellow Gold|url=http://peril.com.au/topics/featured/yellow-gold/index.html|archive-url=https://webarchive.nla.gov.au/awa/20161007130100/http://pandora.nla.gov.au/pan/62863/20161008-0001/peril.com.au/topics/featured/yellow-gold/index.html|archive-date=2016-10-07|journal=Peril: An Asian-Australian Journal|volume=Edition 22|via=Pandora archive}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}} Good Weekend and Frankie (2017).{{Cite magazine |last=Law|first=Michelle|date=January–February 2017|title=Of customers and combat|magazine=Frankie|issue=75|page=146}}

She has written for The Lifted Brow on travel and loneliness (January 2010),{{Cite journal|last=Law|first=Michelle|date=January 2010|title=Things that die in Spain (or in the course of travel)|journal=The Lifted Brow|volume=6|pages=156–161|via=Informit}} teachability of MasterChef (October 2011),{{Cite journal|last=Law|first=Michelle|date=October 2011|title=TV boxwatch: can MasterChef teach you how to cook?|journal=The Lifted Brow|volume=12|pages=[49]–[50]|via=Informit}} the nuances of Game of Thrones (December 2011),{{Cite journal|last=Law|first=Michelle|date=December 2011|title=TV: is Game of Thrones a boy's show?|journal=The Lifted Brow|volume=13|pages=[55]|via=Informit}} the continued appeal of The Golden Girls (October 2012),{{Cite journal|last=Law|first=Michelle|date=October 2012|title=Television: why does The Golden Girls feel so young?|journal=The Lifted Brow|volume=14|page=40|via=Informit}} longevity of reality television (December 2012),{{Cite journal|last=Law|first=Michelle|date=December 2012|title=Survivor: outwitting, outplaying, and outlasting other reality shows|journal=The Lifted Brow|volume=15|page=52|via=Informit}} the possibilities of musical theatre (February 2013),{{Cite journal|last=Law|first=Michelle|date=February 2013|title=Perth and the Gleez project|journal=The Lifted Brow|volume=16|pages=50–51|via=Informit}} bookish television characters (September 2013),{{Cite journal|last=Law|first=Michelle|date=September 2013|title=TV: Rory Gilmore: Beloved bookworm?|journal=The Lifted Brow|volume=19|page=59|via=Informit}} interviewed writer Margo Lanagan (September 2013),{{Cite journal|last=Law|first=Michelle|date=September 2013|title=Margo Lanagan is worldly and nice|journal=The Lifted Brow|volume=19|page=65|via=Informit}} the lack of onscreen depictions of unsexy sex (February 2014),{{Cite journal|last=Law|first=Michelle|date=February 2014|title=Sex and the city, girls and unsexy sex on television|journal=The Lifted Brow|volume=21|page=44|via=Informit}} and expectations around being an adult (March 2015).{{Cite journal|last=Law|first=Michelle|date=March 2015|title=The roaring twenties|journal=The Lifted Brow|volume=25|pages=25–28|via=Informit}}

Her 2015 guest review of Charlotte's Web{{Cite web|url=http://goingdownswinging.org.au/rory-gilmore-reading-challenge-charlottes-web-by-e-b-white/|title=Charlotte's Web by E. B. White {{!}} Going Down Swinging|website=goingdownswinging.org.au|language=en-AU|access-date=17 November 2017}} for Going Down Swinging's "The Rory Gilmore Reading Challenge" expanded on her earlier Gilmore Girls articles in The Lifted Brow.

She has written for the Griffith Review on the nuances of romantic relationships (2013's Once Upon a Time in Oz),{{Cite journal|last=Law|first=Michelle|date=2013|title=Happily ever after: the possibility of another ending|journal=Griffith Review|volume=42|pages=[137]–[145]|via=Informit}} on dual cultural identity (2015),{{Cite journal|last=Law|first=Michelle|date=2015|title=Good things come in pairs: stronger every day|journal=Griffith Review|volume=49|pages=[180]–190|via=Informit}} and sibling conversations (2017).{{Cite journal|last=Law|first=Michelle|date=2017|title=Conversations with my sister: negotiating art, love and labour|journal=Griffith Review|volume=56|pages=[91]–103|via=Informit}}

She has written for The Sydney Morning Herald on misogynist "bro culture" perpetuated by Melbourne University Liberal Club members,{{Cite news|title=Sexist rants reveal blind eye to misogynist culture|last=Law|first=Michelle|date=16 August 2014|work=The Sydney Morning Herald|page=36}} selfie etiquette,{{Cite news|title=Selfies at funerals? Folks, there is a time and a place.|last=Law|first=Michelle|date=13 September 2014|work=The Sydney Morning Herald|page=36}} the physicality of hands,{{Cite news|title=Bodily obsessions|last1=Krauth|first1=Kirsten|date=18 October 2015|work=The Sun Herald: Sunday Life|last2=Law|first2=Michelle|page=14|last3=Savage|first3=Angela}} and writers engaging in marketing.{{Cite news|title=Writing is not enough... you need a 'brand'|last=Law|first=Michelle|date=8 June 2017|work=The Sydney Morning Herald|page=21}}

;Authored

• {{Cite book |last=Law |first=Michelle |title=Asian Girls are Going Places |publisher=Hardie Grant Explore |year=2022 |isbn=978-1-74117-712-1 |ref=none |author-mask=2}}

; Co-authored

• {{Cite book |last=Law |first=Michelle |title=Sh*t Asian mothers say |publisher=Black Inc. |year=2014 |isbn=978-1-86395-663-5 |location=Collingwood, Vic. |ref=none |author-mask=2}}

; Contributed chapters

• {{Cite book |last=Law |first=Michelle |title=Growing up Asian in Australia |publisher=Black Inc. |year=2008 |isbn=978-1-86395-191-3 |location=Melbourne |pages=242–245 |chapter=A call to arms |ref=none |author-mask=2}}
• {{Cite book |last=Law |first=Michelle |title=Women of letters: reviving the lost art of correspondence |publisher=Viking |year=2011 |isbn=978-0-670-07609-3 |editor-last=Hardy |editor-first=Marieke |editor-link=Marieke Hardy |location=Camberwell |pages=237–240 |chapter=Dear hair... |ref=none |author-mask=2 |editor-last2=McGuire |editor-first2=Michaela |editor-link2=Michaela McGuire}}
• {{Cite book |last=Law |first=Michelle |title=Destroying the joint |publisher=Read How You Want |year=2015 |isbn=978-1-4596-8729-5 |editor-last=Caro |editor-first=Jane |editor-link=Jane Caro |pages=25–34 |chapter=A fairer country |ref=none |author-mask=2}}{{snd}}A portion of the chapter was also published as an excerpt in The Sun Herald (May 2013).{{Cite news |last=Law |first=Michelle |date=5 May 2013 |title=All things being equal |work=The Sun Herald |page=15}}
• {{Cite book |last=Law |first=Michelle |title=Rebellious daughters: true stories from Australia's finest female writers |publisher=Ventura Press |year=2016 |isbn=978-1-925183-52-8 |editor-last=Katsonis |editor-first=Maria |location=Edgecliff |pages=259–273 |chapter=Joyride |ref=none |author-mask=2 |editor-last2=Kofman |editor-first2=Lee}}
• {{Cite book |last=Law |first=Michelle |title=Doing it: women tell the truth about great sex |publisher=University of Queensland Press |year=2016 |isbn=978-0-7022-5423-9 |editor-last=Pickering |editor-first=Karen |location=St. Lucia, Queensland |pages=165–171 |chapter=How is your sex life? |ref=none |author-mask=2}}
• {{Cite book |last=Law |first=Michelle |title=Best Australian comedy writing |publisher=Affirm Press |year=2016 |isbn=978-1-925475-26-5 |editor-last=Ryan |editor-first=Luke |location=South Melbourne, Victoria |pages=243–248 |chapter=Pauline Hanson's eviction speech |ref=none |author-mask=2}}

• Suicide and me, Sydney, NSW Australian Broadcasting Corporation, 2013{{Cite web|url=http://www.abc.net.au/tv/programs/suicide-and-me-opening-shot-2/|title=Suicide And Me: Opening Shot 2|website=ABC Television|language=en-AU|access-date=16 November 2017}}
• Bloomers (short film), 2013
• Deadlock (web series of 5 episodes), 2017{{Cite web|url=http://www.everycloudproductions.com.au/news/every-cloud-selects-six-emerging-writers-for-deadlock-script-lab/p/94|title=Every Cloud selects six emerging writers for Deadlock Script Lab|website=www.everycloudproductions.com.au|access-date=17 November 2017}}
• Homecoming Queens (web series of 7 episodes), 2018

• Single Asian Female
• La Boite Theatre (Roundhouse), Brisbane, February–March 2017
• Belvoir St. Theatre, Sydney, February–March 2018
• Top Coat
• Sydney Theatre Company, Wharf Theatre, 25 June – 6 August 2022
• Miss Peony - Belvoir St Theatre, 2023{{Cite web |title=MISS PEONY 牡丹小姐 |url=https://belvoir.com.au/productions/miss-peony-2023/ |access-date=2024-05-31 |website=Belvoir St Theatre |language=en-AU}}

{{Reflist}}

• [http://www.michelle-law.com/ Official website]
• [https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/A118458 Austlit author profile]

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Law, Michelle}}

Category:21st-century Australian writers

Category:21st-century Australian women writers

Category:Australian people of Hong Kong descent

Category:Year of birth missing (living people)

Category:Living people

Category:Australian people of Chinese descent