Penny Mackieson was born in Melbourne in 1963. Placed with her adoptive family as a newborn, she was raised in the Buchan district of eastern Victoria. Penny completed Bachelor (1983) and Master’s (1989) degrees in Social Work at Melbourne University, and has since worked primarily in the children and family services sector, including child protection and intercountry adoption. For much of her career, Penny was employed by the Victorian government. She also successfully co-founded and operated a human services consultancy with a close friend and former colleague for five years. After 12 years in intercountry adoption, Penny resigned at the end of 2013, dismayed by the re-popularization of adoption and popularization of overseas anonymous donor IVF and commercial surrogacy practices. She subsequently joined VANISH, the Victorian Adoption Network for Information & Self-Help, which assisted and supported her in 1997-98 to search for and contact her maternal family of origin. Penny has been serving on the VANISH Committee of Management since 2014, and is currently in the process of enrolling to undertake doctoral studies on permanent care. Penny resides with her partner, now married for 26 years, and their 20-year-old son in inner Melbourne. They are currently renovating a house within walking distance of the iconic MCG. Penny is passionate about Australian football and especially about Melbourne Football Club, of which she has been a lifelong fan and hardcore member since 1998. Penny co-wrote her first non-fiction book, Real Women Love Footy published in 2003, with another friend passionate about football.