Julia Leigh

Julia Leigh (born 1970) is an Australian novelist, film director and screenwriter.

Early life

Born in 1970 in Sydney, Australia, Leigh is the eldest of three daughters. Her father was a physician and her mother a maths teacher.

Leigh majored in philosophy and law at the University of Sydney and was admitted to the NSW Supreme Court as a Legal Practitioner. For a time she worked as a legal advisor at the Australian Society of Authors where she shifted interest into writing. Her mentors have included authors Frank Moorhouse and, as part of the 2002–2003 edition of the Rolex Mentor and Protégé Arts Initiative, Toni Morrison.

Career

Leigh is the author of the novels The Hunter and Disquiet, which received critical acclaim.The Hunter was adapted into a 2011 feature film starring Willem Dafoe, Sam Neill and Frances O'Connor. Leigh also wrote and made her directorial debut with Sleeping Beauty, a 2011 film starring Emily Browning about a university student drawn into a mysterious world of desire. Her film was selected for the main competition at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival.