Teresa Russell is a Sydney-based writer who has just published her first novel, A Bad Period.

Although a writer now, Teresa has transitioned through many interesting careers and side-gigs along the way. She was born in Brisbane (Australia) and grew up in a large family, training as a nurse Straight Outta St Rita’s. When asked in a job interview in her late 20s what her greatest achievements were at high school, she replied honestly, ‘I went to an all-girls Catholic high school. I left there relatively sane, and I could type.’ She didn’t get that job…

After a traitorous move to Sydney where she fell into a Sea of Love with the city, she worked in Coronary Care, eventually leaving bedside nursing when she burned out from too much Night Shift. Teresa moved into the healthcare industry, initially as a sales person and later into marketing, studying her way to better jobs in different healthcare companies. When she completed her business degree, she left Sin City to take a dream job in Singapore as Asia-Pacific director of marketing for Neonatal ICU products. It was far from a Nine To Five job, but she loved it. (Oh, and she met a Scotsman at a wedding in Singapore who was then living in eastern Canada. They eventually married. It’s quite the Love Story.)

Teresa got her first freelance article published in The Australian travel section after penning Driving in Hell in Chennai Airport, while waiting eight hours for a delayed flight. She freelanced as a business writer for a human resources magazine for a decade when her kids were young and has done a wide range of writing since, including website content, travel articles, business case studies, and research and scriptwriting for the SBS Inclusion Program.

In 2009, Teresa got sucked into The Eye of the Storm about NSW children being prevented from studying ethics when faith groups were teaching religion in public schools. First as a volunteer and then as founding CEO, Teresa helped Primary Ethics transition from its embryonic beginnings to being a solid part of the fabric of NSW education over six years.

Side-gigs through the years include the role of silent(ish) partner in three restaurants and a wine export business. She has recently co-founded a community organisation, Friends of Mason Park Wetland, and has written and directed the short doco, Mason Park: Turning the tide for shorebirds.

In 2022, inspired by the Sorrow and Bliss of Love & Friendship and Parenthood, Teresa completed her first novel, A Bad Period.