Jessica Bailey

EARLY LIFE

Jessica’s journey into her work began with her own search for belonging and voice. Born in Nigeria and raised across continents, she arrived in Australia carrying the weight of expectation placed on many African women.

CAREER

Jessica Bailey is a Certified Life Coach, Ovation Keynote Speaker, Author, and award-winning Screenwriter and Director whose work sits at the intersection of storytelling, leadership, and social impact. With a background in Screen Production and Journalism, and Honours in Communication and Media from Murdoch University (2018), she brings creative depth and grounded structure to her work. She is the author of four books, including 'I’m Not a Nurse', 'The One', and 'Your True Voice'. Her Screenwest-funded, award-winning short film, 'I’m Not a Nurse', later expanded into a memoir, challenging stereotypes and giving language to the lived experience of many women navigating identity, migration, and self-worth. Jessica’s work has reached audiences globally, with 'I’m Not a Nurse' screening at international film festivals and her speaking engagements spanning organisations such as Rio Tinto, Women in Technology WA, BHP, and the Margaret River Readers and Writers Festival. She is currently a PhD candidate on scholarship, expanding her research and creative practice around story, voice, and connection. She is also a member of the WA Screen Diversity Leadership Group.

PERSONAL LIFE

Jessica's memoir, 'I’m Not a Nurse', tells the story of a displaced storyteller who must survive homelessness, violence, and racism across two continents to come into her own power as a black African creator. The book also mentions her being called 'ejechi' in Ukwuani (or Igbo in another version), meaning 'to leave and return'.