About the author

Julia Butler was born and grew up in Moscow, the daughter of a renowned concert pianist and a university professor, she was raised in a household filled with music and literature. Her father wrote and translated best-selling books and was fluent in nine languages. Julia learned English at an early age and attended one of the best schools in Moscow. However, her true passion was for figure skating, and she diligently trained for hours every day displaying such talent, that she was discovered by a producer at Mosfilm Studios and chosen for the lead role of a skater in the feature film “Vitka”. Her outstanding performance led to other roles, and she continued skating for years, until her parents insisted that she should pursue academics. After completing her Masters degree in literature and languages at the University of Moscow, she followed in her father’s footsteps writing and translating children’s books from Norwegian into Russian, and teaching languages at the Institute for Diplomats (MGIMO).

Upon immigrating to Italy at the age of 22, Julia founded an impresario company, organizing tours of Italian pop and classical stars to the former Soviet Union. She indulged her love of music through writing and recording of her own songs and soon gained popularity as a singer and songwriter. She traveled to Los Angeles in pursuit of her music career, and was signed by SBK records, part of EMI Group, joining artists such as Boy George, Tracy Chapman, and Wilson Phillips. A merger and an unexpected shift in management at the record label put Julia’s project on hold, and her dreams were dashed. Never being one to accept defeat, she turned her attention to other endeavors and enjoyed considerable success in the business world, but she has a soul of an artist who deeply desires to make a difference and to touch the lives of others.

The Last Encore is available now on Amazon.com and all other Retailers.

 

 

"And the point is to live everything. Live the questions now. Perhaps then, someday far in the future, you will gradually, without even noticing it, live your way into the answer".

                       Rainer Maria Rilke, 1903
                       "Letters to a Young Poet"