Julie Fison is an Australian writer. Her debut novel for adults – One Punch – is a contemporary domestic drama that follows two mothers at the centre of a tragedy, as they wrestle with the consequences of one catastrophic night. If you like Jodi Picoult, Liane Moriarty and Celeste Ng – you’ll love One Punch. Julie has also written eleven books for children and young adults, a play, short stories and travel articles. She lives in Brisbane and spends as much as time as possible travelling, writing and gathering snippets for her next story.
“Julie Fison catapults readers into the murky and contested waters of love, morality and justice from the first page of One Punch and holds them, transfixed, right till the end. It’s a story that exposes the consequences of unconditional love; the cost and burden this delivers parents, their children and anyone caught in its more nefarious orbit. One Punch is a raw, urgent and chilling portrait of family loyalty and the frightening repercussions of being blind to the faults in those we love. Read this book and your conviction about what is right and wrong will be changed forever.”
Sally Piper, Author of Bone Memories
More about Julie
Who are you? I am an Australian writer. One Punch – published in May by Affirm Press – is my debut novel for adults. The story has a simple premise: a 17 year old boy is fighting for his life after a coward punch. His mother wants revenge. The perpetrator’s mother will do anything to keep her son from jail. One Punch follows the two mothers at the centre of the tragedy – ordinary women facing exceptional circumstances. It makes a great bookclub read because of the moral dilemmas faced by both parents.
Where did you grow up? I was born in Mackay, North Queensland – Julie Ellen Mapleston, and grew up in Brisbane, exploring the local creeks and the islands of Moreton Bay, hoping one day to work with animals. After dissecting a frog in Year 9 Biology, I decided vet science was not for me. Instead I studied journalism at QUT, Brisbane, and became a television news reporter – working in Australia, Asia and Europe.
How did you become a writer? A family holiday on the Noosa River inspired me to start writing fiction. My sons teamed up with friends and spent the summer exploring sandbanks, building camps, dodging snakes and avoiding stingrays. I had to write about it. The result was the Hazard River adventure series for young readers. Since then I’ve written many works for children and young adults, including a Gothic play for high school students – As the Crow Flies and stories in the Choose Your Own Ever After series for readers who like to decide where the plot goes.
Why did you start writing fiction for adults? After writing kids’ books for ten years, I wanted a change. My own kids had grown up and I decided to write a book that I could share with friends. I wanted it to be compelling, but also important. Hopefully that’s what I have done. As a mother of young adult sons, I had a lot of stories to cram into the pages of One Punch. And a lot of friends to thank for sharing their expertise and knowledge!
What are you working on now? I am currently working on my second novel. It’s another gripping suburban drama. It should be out soon!
You seem to spend a lot of time in scenic locations. Are you always on holiday? When I’m not head down at my desk, working on a novel, you may well find me strolling on a beach in Queensland, exploring a gorge in the Kimberley or maybe even hiking a trail on a Greek island. I might look like I’m just lazing around on holidays, but I’m actually hard at work – researching new stories and compiling tips for midlife adventurers. You can find out more at Welcome to My World!
What People Say
The modern context, sporting through-line and intertextual references to supernatural tropes make this an excellent resource for our Year 10 course.
Tanya Neilsen, Brisbane Grammar School
Full of friends, family, school and first love, this book is fun, sensitive and has great characters that girls will recognise and relate to.
Lamont bookshop
Julie has the talent and skill to mix adventure, fun, age-appropriate humour and great conservation themes into a whirlwind, page-turning journey, chock full of laughs.
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Julie Fison 