The Lost Letters of Rose Carey is a stirring tale of mystery and romance, inspired by Australian film icon Annette Kellerman. Among her many accolades, Annette was a professional swimmer, a vaudeville star, film actress, writer and feminist who went on to become a Hollywood star in the 1920s. In her lifetime, Annette achieved extraordinary things, such as popularising the use of the one-piece swimsuit, thereby liberating women from wearing heavy, and dangerous, pantaloon swimsuits. A champion swimmer, she lends her name to The Annette Kellerman Aquatic Centre in her hometown of Marrickville. As a film star, Annette’s films often had themes of aquatic adventure. Dubbed the ‘Million Dollar Mermaid’, she was the first actress to wear a swimmable mermaid costume on set, paving the way for screen sirens to come. She also performed all sorts of stunts on set – from jumping off cliffs to swimming with crocodiles. Underwater, she performed a sort of ballet that is said to be the inspiration for the invention of synchronized swimming. She is also one of the first major actresses to appear nude in a Hollywood production.

Despite all these incredible achievements, Annette has remained widely unknown until now. In The Lost Letters, the character of Rose very much pays homage to this trailblazing, larger-than-life woman whose story deserves to be told. Described by Books+Publishing as a ‘true page-turner… taking the reader on a rollercoaster ride through the ups and downs of triumph and tragedy’, this novel has all the glamour, suspense and drama of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo but with an Australian setting and a timely present-day dual timeline narrative that explores themes of same sex marriage, IVF and climate change.

This is Sydney-based author Julie Bennett's second novel, following The Understudy in 2022. Both novels were inspired by her experiences on stage as a child extra in the newly-opened Sydney Opera House and her love of Australian history.

Julie will be in conversation with Robert Henderson.