A life of uncertainty marred by trauma, strength, sadness and hope shaped Grace Tame as she worked to find her voice after experiencing sexual abuse as a child.
She has penned a memoir, and illustrated the cover, of her experiences on the path to becoming one of the country’s most outspoken advocates for childhood sexual abuse survivors.
Ms Tame was instrumental in the rewriting of Tasmania’s gag laws which prevented sexual assault survivors from speaking out.
The change enacted through the Let Her Speak campaign alongside Nina Funnell – giving survivors the right to publicly speak out – snowballed into her becoming the 2021 Australian of the Year, which she used to elevate the cause.
The memoir, titled The Ninth Life Of A Diamond Miner, is described as “Grace’s story, in Grace’s words, on Grace’s terms”.
“Australians from all walks of life were inspired and moved by her fire and passion. Here she was using her voice, and encouraging others to use theirs too” publisher Pan Macmillan Australia wrote on Wednesday.
“Like Grace, it is sharply intelligent, deeply felt and often blisteringly funny. And, as with all her work, it offers a constructive and optimistic vision for a better future for all of us.”
The memoir is due for release on September 27.
