Gabbie attended the Walkley awards ceremony in Brisbane on Friday night with staff of the Griffith Review who published her essay, ‘Teaching Australia’ and said it was a surreal experience “being in a room with the journalists I admire, chatting casually with the people I read in the weekend newspapers”.

Gabbie wrote the essay after becoming burnt out and disheartened about the education system.

“I found everyone connects with the essay on a personal level, whether they are a celebrity or not,” Gabbie said.

But although the Walkleys are over, the journey continues for Gabbie who now has a book deal to work on.

It was during the Byron Bay Writers’ Festival that Gabbie was approached by Allen and Unwin.

“I was giving my talk and then there was a huge round of applause and cheering and I thought Magda Szubanski – who was also speaking at the festival – had walked in the room, but I looked up and it was for me, and I just burst into tears,” Gabbie said.

Allen and Unwin staff were waiting for Gabbie, keen to sign her up and have commissioned her to expand her essay into a memoir to be published in February 2018.

“Here I am writing a memoir at the ripe old age of 40 but I am hoping that politicians will take note and maybe a politician will be a champion and stand up to push for the changes that are desperately needed in the education system.

“I want to remind people what teachers give to us. Everyone had a teacher who has made a mark on their life.”

In her essay, Gabbie wrote about the young boy she was testing who as he struggled to find the right answers, stood twisting the edge of his shirt.

“I want to make the system better for all those who stand there twisting their shirts, just make it better for them,” Gabbie said.