How can publishers support the authors of trauma memoirs, as they unpack their pain for the public? New research investigates

Would you publish the worst thing that ever happened to you?

When Amani Haydar’s mother was murdered by her father in an act of domestic violence, writing helped process the pain. At first, she wrote in private, journalling as a way “to express frustrations and insecurities I feared couldn’t be spoken out loud at the time”.

Haydar is a trained lawyer; the chance to write a Victim Impact Statement reminded her how important survivor voices are within justice settings. More broadly, she found herself inspired by acclaimed memoirs and public testimonies of gendered violence.