Julie Janson

Julie Janson has a long career as a playwright, poet and award-winning novelist. She began writing plays and making giant puppets in remote N.T. Indigenous communities. Her novels have been published in UK, USA and Australia. A long career in Indigenous education included teaching at Tranby Cooperative College, the Koori Centre University of Sydney and the Redfern Aboriginal Medical Service. Julie’s first professional play Gunjies was produced at Belvoir St Theatre and her play Black Mary was produced by Rhoda Roberts and Belvoir St Theatre for the Festival of the Dreaming.

‍

Julie’s novels include Benevolence, Compassion and Madukka the River Serpent. Her current work are new novels Waagaan the Bloody Crow, to be published by Penguin Random House in early 2027, and Revelation, published by Magbala. Julie has been shortlisted for the Miles Franklin Literary Award in 2025 with Compassion. Her novel Madukka, an Indigenous crime novel, was long-listed for the Miles Franklin. Julie lives on Yuin Walbanga country in NSW South Coast and is married with three children and five grandchildren.