Julie’s influence encompasses everything from cherished, food-stained copies of best-selling cookbooks such as Stephanie Alexander’s A Cook’s Companion and Maggie Beer’s Maggie’s Harvest, to exquisite design titles from the likes of Collette Dinnigan, Karen McCartney and Paul Bangay that grace many a well-styled coffee table. She is a true custodian of the creative process.

For Julie, a love of beautiful things and a profound admiration for the written word have dovetailed into a career that has been both a privilege and a joy. As a thought leader in the industry, Julie’s knowledge and experience is sought by many who feel deeply assured by placing their creative journey in her hands.

Initially embarking on a law-arts degree, Julie preferred time spent at her part-time job in an Adelaide bookstore and soon deferred her studies for a path more aligned with her affection for books. Beginning her career as a sales representative for Methuen LBC, it wasn’t long before she gravitated to an editorial assistant role at Allen & Unwin in Melbourne.

Relishing the opportunity to absorb every aspect of trade book publishing, Julie’s natural editorial instincts were quickly recognised, leading to her appointment as Viking publisher for Penguin. It was here that she found herself successfully convincing the company to publish an 825-page cookbook with no food photography retailing for an unheard of $75. That book was A Cook’s Companion and it became an enormous success, rolling through seemingly endless reprints. Today, it remains one of Australia’s best-loved culinary titles and a well-thumbed copy will invariably be found in the kitchen of enthusiastic home cooks and professional chefs alike.

‘Being a facilitator to telling people’s life stories and celebrating their achievements is what I love doing.’

No stranger to bestsellers throughout her career, Julie’s name is synonymous with elegantly produced lifestyle books. In 2004, she was invited to launch Lantern, a Penguin imprint dedicated to the covetable illustrated titles she’d become known for producing.

From Lantern’s inception to its eventual close 11 years later, Julie guided, coaxed and encouraged authors to share their obsessions and expertise with readers. Her ability to transform the passion projects of Australia’s top chefs, designers, photographers and artists into successes saw Lantern grow into an admired and highly regarded imprint.

Now, as a freelance publisher and consultant, Julie’s singular expertise in telling people’s stories and showcasing their talents has grown to include diverse applications, from creating a series of pop-up dinners with chef Christine Manfield to hosting events and cooking classes, and acting as a literary agent. Recent publishing projects include Flour and Stone – Baked for Life, Love and Happiness by Nadine Ingram and Australian Designers at Home by Jenny Rose-Innes.  

Julie’s current role as lead consultant on the Powerhouse Museum’s important Australian Culinary Archive project, which aims to preserve and celebrate our food culture and those who contribute to it, is a true expression of her talents as a collaborator and storyteller. ‘Being a facilitator to telling people’s life stories and celebrating their achievements is what I love doing,’ she says.  

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