First novel for local author - ‘The Girls of Redgum Bay’

04th Nov 2025

Every budding author dreams of holding a physical copy of their own work in their hands. For local author Jypsi Bennett, that dream has been realised and last week she held an official launch for her self-published debut novel ‘The Girls of Redland Bay’.
For Jypsi, the book is the culmination of a lifelong love of storytelling. From an early age she was always interested in writing, but ‘just decided I wanted to get it out into the world’.
With a degree in Criminology and a passion for understanding human behaviour, Jypsi said she was motivated by frustration at how often real and fictional crime stories centre on offenders rather than victims.
“It bothers me that so much focus goes onto the perpetrators of violence rather than survivors,” she explained. “I wanted to write something that glazes over the killer and instead highlights those who survive.”
The story has been a work in progress since 2018, completed while she juggled writing around her other commitments.
“I wrote around my kids, when they were asleep or at school,” she said. “I also discovered this year that I have ADHD, so when I found the energy, I’d use it to write.”
“The adage of ‘write what you know’ is absolutely true. My characters are a combination of people I know and experiences I’ve had. It’s the best way to make them seem authentic.”
While none of the book’s events directly reference real people, there are nods to well-known Australian crimes that true-crime fans may recognise. Writing, she admits, wasn’t always easy.
“The hardest parts were the everyday scenes that fill the space between big plot points,” she said. “And at first, I tried too hard to avoid clichés, but once I let go of that and just wrote freely, it all flowed better.”
Self-publishing The Girls of Redgum Bay gave her creative control over the final product.
“It was stressful learning all the tricks,” she said, “but it meant I could work at my own pace.”
The book explores domestic violence, both overt and subtle, and its ripple effects.
“I hope readers take away the lasting impact of DV, but also that they feel free to stop reading if the theme is too heavy.”
Looking ahead, she plans to continue writing in the Australian crime and paranormal suspense genre.
“Now that I’ve published one book, I feel confident to keep going,” she said. “To anyone starting out, my advice is don’t compare yourself to others. Talk to people, learn from them, and remember: anything is better than nothing.”
Copies of the book are now available for purchase from Kimmy’s Kitchen and the Post Office in Guyra. You can also purchase a digital or paperback version online at amazon.com.au.

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First novel for local author - ‘The Girls of Redgum Bay’

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