Maura Pierlot is a New York-born, Canberra-based author, playwright and filmmaker who creates across art forms for children and adults. Her work typically has an existential bent, exploring the nature of self, belonging, identity, culture and memory. She is the author of the popular picture books, The Trouble in Tune Town and What Will You Make Today?

Maura’s most recent work, Fragments: Journeys from Isolation to Connection, explores a range of mental health issues facing young people today. Originally written for the stage, Fragments is a widely acclaimed play (2019), published in playscript form (2021), has been adapted as a young adult hybrid novel (2023) and is now an award-winning web series (2023). Fragments inspired the song and music video, ‘Stay’ by Australian rap artist, The Profit featuring Sophia Marzano, which can be streamed on Spotify and YouTube. 

Maura has worked as an ethicist, business owner and Editor of Australian Medicine, and has a PhD in ethics from Georgetown University. She is actively embedded in community initiatives, running The Book Bench Project in Canberra, working with Books in Homes Australia, and writing children’s book reviews for the Children’s Book Council of Australia.