Mandy Sayer (born 1963) is an Australian novelist and narrative non-fiction writer. She was born in 1963 in the Sydney suburb of Marrickville, the third of three children. She began writing poetry and stories at the age of six. Her parents separated when she was aged ten. In 1983, she travelled to the United States with her father Gerry, a jazz drummer. To earn a living, they busked on the streets of New York City, New Orleans and Colorado for three years; Gerry played drums and Mandy tap danced. Her first memoir, Dreamtime Alice (1998), was based on these experiences. It was published to acclaim in Australia, the U.S., the U.K., Germany, and Brazil, and won the 2000 National Biography Award and .