Jemma Pollari: Author Bio

Jemma Pollari is a Finnish-Australian author of speculative fiction, a ukelele player, Lego fanatic, and boy-mum from the Sunshine Coast in Queensland.

Under the name J. C. Pollari, Jemma was selected to co-author Code Bravo, a YA mathematical adventure thriller for the MathThrills product suite for high school students. She has recently had fiction published in AntipodeanSF and Jacaranda Journal. Her short non-fiction has been published in WQ Magazine and The Writing Cooperative, and extensively online in multiple publications for photographers. Her poetry collection Keep it Together was published in QPoetry! Chapbook project in 2024.

Jemma’s short fiction has won competitions including Queensland Writers Centre’s Right Left Write, Frank Fenner Creative Writing and WILDsound Festival Short Story Competition. She has also shortlisted for the Albedo One Aeon Award, and GenreCon 2026: Inkling Manga Script Competition. In October 2025, she shortlisted for Pitchable for her story concept Bubble Holograph, becoming one of twelve writers selected from hundreds of applicants to pitch her story concept to a live panel of judges and industry professionals.

Jemma holds a Ba. Science Communications (Honours), Grad. Dip. Ed. (Secondary, Physics and Mathematics) and M. Ed. with a focus on leadership. Throughout her academic career she has been awarded the Postgraduate Women’s Award, Dean’s Commendation, National Undergraduate Award and Distinguished Scholar Award. Dedicated to improving her craft and seeking opportunities for industry feedback, Jemma has completed informal writing courses including Pitch Perfect (ASA), Year of the Edit (Paula Ellery, QWC), Printable (QWC), Self-Editing for Creatives (Dr Janet Lee), Novelist’s Boot Camp (Dr Kim Wilkins, QWC), Launch Lab (QWC) and numerous other short workshops on the art and craft of writing.

Jemma is currently Chair of the Queensland Writers Centre, thriving on helping other writers find community. As a registered teacher, she has a particular focus on supporting young writers and has run Brisbane Children’s Writers Festival and Youth Writing Saturdays Sunshine Coast. She has been on panels, moderated, run workshops and spoken at festivals and events including Brisbane Children’s Writers Festival, GenreCon, Rainforest Writing Retreat, Eumundi Writers Festival, Sunshine Coast Hinterland Writers Festival, CONTACT Festival, Whispers Salon, and Brisbane Writers Festival.

As well as polishing her post-apocalyptic science fantasy series, Jemma is currently working on a collaborative screenplay and film project led by Australian fantasy author Isobelle Carmody, and is indie publishing editor for a forthcoming anthology of science fiction and fantasy works from dedicated and award-winning emerging writers. She maintains an active in-person and online presence in the community, including via her community newsletter, Spec. Fic. Society and on social media where she can be found as @jemmapollari on Instagram and Threads.

When not writing, Jemma builds websites with a focus on helping authors find their readers, takes far too many photos, drags her reluctant sons up mountains—and occasionally finds time to relax with a good book.