Jessica Gabrielzyk
IN A NUTSHELL
Jessica Gabrielzyk writes about what happens after you move abroad and realise you no longer recognise yourself — not as a professional, not as a parent, not as the person you were before everything changed. Nobody warned you this would happen. She names it.
She is a Brazilian author based in Switzerland, founder of Keep It Simple Publishing, and a member of SiETAR — the Society for Intercultural Education, Training and Research. Her forthcoming book Parenting Unpacked: Parenting Through the Loss of Self has been endorsed by Ruth E. Van Reken, co-author of Third Culture Kids, and selected for the official SIETAR congress resource pack in Valencia, Spain, 2026.
Bio
ONE SENTENCE
Jessica Gabrielzyk is a Brazilian author in Switzerland writing practical, honest books for parents navigating life abroad.
ONE PARAGRAPH
Jessica Gabrielzyk is the author of Maternity Abroad, My First American Coloring Book, and Parenting Unpacked. Brazilian-born, she has lived in Australia, Portugal, Ireland, and Switzerland, and writes from inside the experiences she covers. Her work has been endorsed by Ruth E. Van Reken and recognised by SIETAR Europa & Brazil.
FULL BIO
Jessica Gabrielzyk grew up in São Paulo, studied at Griffith University in Brisbane, and has lived in Portugal, Ireland, and Switzerland. She had her daughter in Portugal and moved when she was a three months old. She writes about migration, identity, and parenting for the global family that finds most expat content either too academic or too aspirational. She founded Keep It Simple Publishing in Switzerland and is a member of SIETAR. Her books have reached readers in over seven countries.
BRAND PILLARS
The Map, Not The Manual
Expat parenting advice is too often academic and written for someone with time to read a manifesto. Jessica writes for the parent at 2am who needs to know what to do next. Every book is a practical map for a specific stage of the journey — not a theory, a tool.
The Loss Nobody Names
Moving abroad does not just change your address. It changes who you are. The loss of professional identity, social belonging, and personal confidence that comes with relocation is real, widespread, and almost entirely absent from mainstream parenting literature. Jessica names it.
The Cultural Bridge
Children raised between cultures do not need theory. They need tools. Practical, screen-free, age-appropriate ways to inhabit more than one world at once. That is what the coloring book series is built for — cultural literacy that begins at age two.
Books
Maternity Abroad: Becoming a Mother in a Foreign Land
Before you become a mother abroad
For the mothers-to-be navigating pregnancy and early parenthood in a country that is not hers. Healthcare systems, building support from scratch, and the emotional reality of becoming a parent without your village nearby.
My First American Coloring Book: Everyday Life in the U.S. for Little Hands
When your child enters the culture
Applied cultural literacy for toddlers from age two. 101 illustrations of real American daily life — the tools that help a child inhabit more than one world at once. Screen-free. Available in seven countries across four continents.
Parenting Unpacked: Parenting Through the Loss of Self
When you lose yourself in the process
The book about the part nobody names. The identity that dissolves when you become a parent abroad — the professional self, the social self, the person you were before. Endorsed by Ruth E. Van Reken. Selected for the SIETAR congress resource pack, Valencia 2026.
SUGGESTED INTERVIEW QUESTIONS
You write about the "loss of self" that comes with parenting abroad. What does that actually look like in practice — and why is nobody talking about it?
You are Brazilian, living in Switzerland, and you wrote a coloring book about American culture for toddlers. How does that outsider perspective become an advantage?
Your work has been endorsed by Ruth E. Van Reken, co-author of Third Culture Kids. What does it mean to have that kind of recognition from the academic side of intercultural research?
You describe your books as maps, not manuals. What is the difference and why does it matter for expat parents?
You founded your own publishing house. What does independent publishing look like from the inside — and what have you learned from doing it twice?
CREDENTIALS & RECOGNITION
Endorsment
Ruth E. Van Reken, co-author of Third Culture Kids (4 editions), co-founder of Families in Global TransitionSpeaker
SIETAR Europa congress resource pack and Intercultural Book Corner, Valencia 2026. SIETAR Brasil Intercultural Study Group, June 27th 2025. Topic: identity, belonging, and parenting in multicultural contexts.
SIETAR — Society for Intercultural Education, Training and ResearchAILB - International Academy of Brazilian Literature
MEMBERSHIP
Selected for Mulheres em Travessia, curated by Luciana Gomide and Isabel Arruda, on merit through anonymous submissionANthology
Prêmio Loba 2025 - Nominated in the Non-Fiction Published Book category for Maternity Abroad: Becoming a Mother in a Foreign Land. Prêmio Destaque Literario 2025 - Nominated by the Academia Internacional de Literatura Brasileira (AILB) in two categories: Contos e Crônicas and Autoajuda. For Maternity Abroad: Becoming a Mother in a Foreign Land.
Nominations
WHAT OTHERS HAVE SAID
"A humorous and practical guide answering key questions for newcomers, such as healthcare, finding help — and, of course, the best café in town. A delightful read that warmly supports and embraces immigrant mothers."
LUCIANA GOMIDE · AUTHOR, LÁ NO BRASIL · ENDORSING MATERNITY ABROAD
"Parabéns! Wonderful. Congratulations, Jessica Gabrielzyk."
PAPA BALLA NDONG · HUMAN MIGRATION EXPERT · EXECUTIVE PRESIDENT, SIETAR EUROPA
"Brilliant."
RHODA BANGERTER · AUTHOR, HOLDING THE FORT ABROAD · ON MY FIRST AMERICAN COLORING BOOK
“Amazing book! My son just love it."
GOODREADS READER · 5 STARS · MY FIRST AMERICAN COLORING BOOK
DOWNLOAD ASSETS
AUTHOR PHOTO
High-resolution headshot available on request. Email hello@jessicagabrielzyk.com with subject line "Press Assets."BOOK COVERS
High-resolution cover images for all three books available on request. Print and digital formats.Keep It Simple Publishing logo and brand guidelines available on request for editorial use.BRAND ASSETS
Physical and digital review copies available for media, podcasters, and academic researchers. Contact hello@jessicagabrielzyk.comREVIEW COPIES
Press & Media Enquiries
Jessica Gabrielzyk is available for podcast interviews, keynote speaking on intercultural identity and global relocation, and guest expert commentary on expatriate parenting and cultural literacy.
For interview requests, review copies, press mentions, speaking engagements, or collaboration enquiries: