Associate Professor Kylie Cardell, Dr Katerina Bryant, Christiana Harous, Dr Emma Maguire (JCU), Associate Professor Lydia Woodyatt

This project investigates how writing can impact wellbeing.  This interdisciplinary project surveys and analyses a large sample of writers in order to understand and map the experiences of wellbeing and resilience across a cohort and to measure and analyse this in accordance with evidence-based psychological methods. A particular focus of the project is the experiences of memoirists who are representing painful or traumatic personal lived experience. The project asks: how should the writing and publishing industry support authors? How can we support the broader industry—like editors working closely with trauma texts, or first-time fiction authors who struggle with the rollercoaster of publishing their first book? And how should authors take care of themselves in the process of writing and publishing—especially when they are putting their lives on the page?

Outcomes:

Cardell, K., Harous, C., Maguire, E., and Woodyatt, L. (16 Feb. 2023). How can publishers support the authors of trauma memoirs, as they unpack their pain for the public? New research investigates, The Conversation. https://theconversation.com/how-can-publishers-support-the-authors-of-trauma-memoirs-as-they-unpack-their-pain-for-the-public-new-research-investigates-189251