ABOUT

Julie is a queer, disabled, neurodivergent author based in Edinburgh. Her young-adult novel was shortlisted for the Write Mentor Children's Novel Award 2021 and the Owned Voices Novel Award 2021, and in 2020 it won a place on the Write Mentor Summer Mentoring Programme 2020 with YA author Amy Beashel.  

Julie's poetry has been shortlisted for the Aurora Prize for Writing 2021 and she was a finalist in the Glasgow Women's Library Calm Slam 2020, as well as for the Iceland Writers Retreat Alumni Award 2020. 

She was chosen to participate in the Diverse Critics Scheme delivered by Creative Scotland in partnership with Disability Arts Online and The Skinny in 2020. 

Her essays and features have been published in various publications, and her poem, IMAGINE, was published in Not Going Back To Normal - A Disabled Artists Manifesto.

Mental health and illness, disability and diversity feature prominently in Julie's work and she is an advocate for diverse representation. Her background is in PR, marketing and events in publishing and she has also been a bookseller. She has an honors degree in Biomedical Science, and recently studied screenwriting at Screen Academy Scotland.

Through her consultancy, Julie aims to improve access to development opportunities for disabled writers, and raise awareness of the barriers to development. She consults with various organisations on access, which have included Cymera Festival, Paisley Book Festival, the Scottish Book Trust and Magfest.

Julie has chaired and spoken at events about diversity, feminism, identity, access and inclusion.