Melissa Ashley is the author of historical fiction novels The Bee and the Orange Tree and The Birdman's Wife, which won the Queensland Literary Awards Fiction prize and the ABA Booksellers Choice Award. She has published a collection of poetry, The Hospital for Dolls, as well as poems, short stories, essays and academic articles. Melissa teaches writing workshops in educational and private settings and is passionate about uncovering historical women's forgotten lives, particularly in science. She lives in Brisbane with her family.