Join Gerard McCann for an evening in conversation a special guest as they discuss his debut memoir, Anatomy of a Secret.

The evening will be steeped in complex and proactive conversation as well as Gerard’s writing process.

Light refreshments will be provided. Book sales and signings will be presented by New Edition Bookshop.

Tickets are free, but spaces are limited and can be found by using the booking link.

About the book: Raw and compelling, Anatomy of a Secret bravely shares long-silenced, unspoken truths. As a boy, Gerard was sexually abused by a Catholic priest at his local church. As a grown man, he confronts the trauma of what he suffered and the psychological aftermath of his experience, grappling with shame, guilt and the devastating impact it had on his family, relationships and sense of self. Despite what he endured, Gerard’s story is one of hope and healing, of acknowledging pain and seeking support, of honesty and justice.

About the author: Gerard McCann was born in the Western Australian wheatbelt town of Goomalling, and grew up in the Perth suburb of Cottesloe, the second of five boys in a staunch Catholic family. After school with the Jesuits, he studied Architecture at the Perth Technical College and the University of WA. He began writing poetry as an adolescent, but discovered the joy of writing when, at twenty-one, he backpacked around Europe on $5 a day. He has a long-held interest in heritage architecture and developed a practice based around this in Fremantle. He completed an Arts degree at UWA in the 1990s, majoring in Australian and American literature. On sabbatical in 2012, he re-immersed himself in non-fiction writing. On his return, he was compelled to write the story of his childhood, a memoir that developed into a major exploration of clerical sexual abuse and its lifelong consequences. He is currently writing short stories and continues to draw inspiration from his writing group. He lives with his life partner in Fremantle. They have two children and three grandchildren.