Author Panel IDPwD: Messy Representation – writing with and about disability

“Good” disability representation isn’t always straightforward. Libraries ACT presents a discussion panel for International Day of People with Disability (IDPwD): three local authors discussing authentic disability representation in stories. Yenn Purkis, Craig Cormick OAM and Liam Adams will share their thoughts on the importance and challenges of writing stories that represent people with disability in complex, real-world ways. Auslan interpretation will be provided by Brett Olzen. Yenn Purkis is the author of 18 published books and has worked in the disability and Queer advocacy space for almost 20 years, winning a number of awards. They have recently co-authored “The Autism and neurodiversity self-advocacy handbook” (2022) with Barb Cook. Craig Cormick OAM is an award-winning author of fiction and non-fiction books for both adults and children and a member of the Children’s Book Council of Australia. “Superheroes for a Day” (2024) tells the story of three Autistic friends who use their unique abilities to save their school from endless maths. Liam Adams is an author of science fiction/fantasy novels and a cartoonist who lives with Autism and Intellectual Disability, with five novels self-published and two more on the way. “Gateway Into Mayhem” (2024) is the fourth novel of Liam Adams’ Librarian Saga.