Jessica Chapnik Kahn

Jessica Chapnik Kahn is an Argentinian Australian writer, poet, actor, and singer songwriter whose multidisciplinary career spans stage, screen, music, and literature. She immigrated to Australia as a child and learnt English by watching the children's television show Play School. She trained at the Atlantic Theater Company Acting School in New York, founded by playwright David Mamet.
As a writer, she is the author of the poetry collection MADRE, inspired by the birth of her son; the children's book Lenny and the Ants; and co author of the memoir A Repurposed Life, which was long-listed for the ABIA Biography Book of the Year Award in 2021. In 2025, she was a featured speaker and performer at TEDxSydney, and her latest collaborative work, The Fire Always Says Yes, had its world premiere at the Sydney Opera House.
Alongside her writing, Jessica has worked as an actor across theatre, television, and film. As a musician, she has toured and collaborated with some of Australia's most acclaimed artists, released two solo albums under the moniker Appleonia, and earned an ARIA Award nomination.