Julie Bennett In-Conversation and Film Screening

Join us at The Dendy, Newtown for the launch of The Lost Letters of Rose Carey followed by a special screening of The Original Mermaid documentary. 

About the Book

The Lost Letters of Rose Carey is a stirring tale of mystery and romance, inspired by the life of 1920s Australian film icon and ‘million-dollar mermaid’ Annette Kellerman. 

About the Film

The Original Mermaid is the story of Annette Kellerman, the international swimming vaudeville and silent screen star whose life story inspired the MGM classic Million Dollar Mermaid starring Esther Williams, which featured lavish Busby Berkeley scenes.

Julie Bennett fell in love with words at a very young age and soon after leaving school began a career in libraries. In her late twenties she decided to follow her dream to write for a living and, after graduating university, became a journalist. In 2004 she launched a public relations company, which she still manages today. Julie lives with her wonderful husband, Bruce and their gorgeous kelpie cross cattle dog, Riley, within walking distance of the Sydney Opera House where she performed as a child extra back in 1973, the year it opened. The Lost Letters of Rose Carey is Julie’s second novel. Her debut The Understudy was published by Simon & Schuster in 2022.

Julia Newbould is an accomplished finance writer, speaker and author, with a strong connection to and interest in the performing arts and fashion. She is a former Managing Editor of Money magazine and co-authored The Joy of Money, which won best Personal Finance and Investment book at the Australian Business Book Awards in 2020. She also co-founded the Stella Network to encourage and champion women in financial services. An experienced conference host and public speaker, Julia has appeared on the Today Show talking about money. She is a regular theatre reviewer for Theatre Now and previously reviewed theatre and film for Hunter and Bligh. She is currently co-writing a second book in the Joy of Money series, aimed at school leavers.