Vanessa Gorman is a filmmaker and writer who lives in Northern NSW, Australia.

Losing Layla - the documentary

In 2001 the ABC aired Vanessa’s intimate Video Diary documentary called Losing Layla about the death of her baby daughter and the journey that followed. This groundbreaking, award winning film caused a sensation when it aired for its raw and powerful look at the rollercoaster of grief.
Two years later, ABC TV’s Australian Story program made a half hour follow up called Regarding Raphael which chronicled the healing passage of the birth of her son. The DVD of both these films also contains a home movie follow-up which celebrates the birth of her daughter Francesca in 2005.

Layla’s Story - A memoir of sex, love, loss and longing

Layla’s Story, the book, is the extraordinary account of one woman’s loss of her baby girl and the devastating experience of grief that followed. Told with humour and great warmth, Layla’s Story is a book that will strike a chord with women of all ages. With incredible honesty, Vanessa lays bare her life and explores what it means to be a modern woman. Ultimately it is a story of profound redemption.