Tara Moss Bio

With Dutch refugee grandparents who narrowly escaped the Nazis in the 1940’s, a mother who was an amateur painter and sculptor, and a father who sold fridges in a now defunct Canadian department store, Tara Moss’ interest in human rights were influenced from a very young age. Growing up in Victoria, Canada, her parents were heavily involved in charity work, with Moss and her sister regularly trick or treating for UNICEF. 

At 14, she was recruited for local modelling gigs, due to her self-described “Amazonian features” and after her mother died from multiple myeloma in 1990, she got serious about her career. Although she was out of the modelling scene by the age of 21, she spent a few whirlwind years shooting beauty editorials, Cosmo spreads, ads and more, while travelling the world. 

From a young age, Tara Moss had ambitions of being a writer, and a win in Australia’s Scarlet Stiletto Awards short story competition at the age of 24 led to an agent reading out to her directly, and her debut novel, Fetish, being published in 1999. 

Moss divorced poet and novelist Berndt Selheim in 2024 and is studying a Doctorate of Social Sciences in the Department of Gender and Cultural studies at the University of Sydney while also being an advocate for human rights and the rights of women and children. She has been a UNICEF Australia Goodwill Ambassador since 2007. 

As well as writing, Tara Rae Moss, or Rae as she is also known, is a holistic practitioner, keynote speaker and funeral celebrant. She also has private investigator credentials (Cert iii) from the Australian Security Academy.

Writing through chronic pain

Tara Moss sustained a hip injury in 2016, and then developed a rare, debilitating chronic pain condition called complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS). The pain from CRPS has been likened to childbirth or having a finger or toe amputated with no anesthetic. Moss utilised a wheelchair for several years, and while the condition made it very hard for her to write, writing also became more important than ever as it allowed her to disappear into another world for a while. 

She entered remission at the age of 49.

Outside of writing

Tara Moss leads a full life outside of writing novels. She is an outspoken advocate for the rights of women and children. Moss has been ambassador for:

• Royal Institute for Deaf and Blind Children since 2000 

• UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador since 2007

• UNICEF National Ambassador for Child Survival since 2013

Tara Moss has also hosted various podcasts and shows, including:

• Cyberdate with Tara Moss (2017)

• Two seasons of Tough Nuts – Australia’s Hardest Criminals (2009-2012)

• Tara Moss in Conversation (2010 – 2012)

• Tara Moss Investigates (2006)

• The Man in the Balaclava (2021)

She also voiced the character of Dr. Samantha Twelvetrees in the 1995 video games Ripley’s Believe It or Not: The Riddle of Master Lu. 

For her work outside of writing, Moss has received the Edna Ryan Award for significant contributions to feminist debate and for speaking out on behalf of women and children. She has also been recognised as one of the Global Top 50 Diversity Figures in Public Life. 

Discussing society through non-fiction 

Moss’ first non-fiction book, The Fictional Woman, was published in June 2014 and became a #1 bestselling non-fiction book. It has received critical acclaim and is listed as a must-read. Tara Moss’ writing has appeared in several publications including Ms Magazine, Crime Reads, Australian Literary Review, The Sydney Morning Herald, The Sun-Herald, The Daily Telegraph, TheHoopla and more. 

In The Fictional Woman, Moss looks at the way women’s lives are subject to a number of fictions that contradict reality, helping to perpetuate ongoing inequalities for women. The book is part-memoir and part-social commentary where she covers topics such as sexism, under-representation in media and politics, modern motherhood, body image and sexual violence. 

Awards and recognitions

Tara Moss has received several awards and recognitions for her work, both writing and outside of writing. 

2012 – Australia’s 20 Most Influential Female Voices

2013 – Australia’s Most Inspiring Women who push boundaries, create change and motivate

2014 – Outstanding Advocacy Award for Manus Island: An insider’s report

2014 – Cosmo’s – The Women Who Made 2014 Better – The Fictional Woman

2014 – Influential Women of 2014 

2014 – The Hoopla – The Female Eunuch Award – The Fictional Woman 

2015 – Best Designed Non-Fiction Book Award – The Fictional Woman 

2015 – University of Sydney’s Leadership for Good

2015 – Edna Ryan Award – Grand Stirrer Award

2016 – Champion of the West award for community service

2017 – Order of Lambrick Park – honouring Lambrick Park alumni

2018 – Glocal Top 50 Diversity Figures in Public Life

2020 – Shortlisted for the Danger Prize Award for Dead Man Switch/The War Widow

2021 – Conscious Being magazine – Global Change Maker for disability advocacy

2022 – City of Victoria Honorary Citizen Award

Tara Moss books in order 

Tara Moss has books published in 19 countries and in 13 languages. She is well known for her research which has seen her tour the FBI and LAPD, shoot firearms, be set on fire, be choked unconcious by Utilmate Figher ‘Big’ John McCarthy, fly with the RAAF, and spend time in morgues and courtrooms. She also obtained her license as a private investigator, and holds a wildlife/snake-handling license. 

Makedde Vanderwall books

• Fetish (1999)

• Split (2003)

• Covet (2004)

• Hit (2006)

• Siren (2009) 

• Assassin (2012)

Pandora English books

• The Blood Countess (2010)

• The Spider Goddess (2011)

• The Skeleton Key (2012)

• The Cobra Queen (2020)

Billie Walker Mystery books

• The War Widow/Dead Man Switch (2019)

• The Ghosts of Paris (2022)

• The Italian Secret (2025)

Non-fiction books

• The Fictional Woman (2014)

• Speaking Out (2016)

• Nantucket: The Ultimate Playground (2023)