Julia Leigh (b. 1970) is an Australian novelist, film director and screenwriter.
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Born in 1970 in Sydney, Australia,[1] Leigh is the eldest of three daughters of a doctor and maths teacher. She initially studied law but shifted to writing. For a time she worked at the Australian Society of Authors. Her mentors included leading authors Frank Moorhouse and Toni Morrison.[2]
Leigh is the author of the novels The Hunter and Disquiet, which received critical acclaim.[3] The Hunter was adapted into a 2011 feature film starring Willem Dafoe, Sam Neill and Frances O'Connor. Leigh also wrote the screenplay Sleeping Beauty about a university student drawn into a mysterious world of desire. She made her directorial debut with this screenplay in 2011 Sleeping Beauty starring Emily Browning.[2] Her film was selected for the main competition at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival.[4]