Kootenay author to share about sexual assault, post-traumatic stress disorder and recovery during September book tour
By Contributor
First-time author D. M. Ditson of Invermere will launch her award-winning memoir Wide Open with a Book Launch and Recovery Conversation tour. She will hold events in Kimberley, Trail, Castlegar, Creston, Kelowna and Revelstoke between Sept. 16 and 24 and will be speaking at the Kootenay Regional Domestic Violence Conference in Nelson.
Ditson’s story is a raw and emotional account of unravelling in the wake of a series of sexual assaults by several men that left her with post-traumatic
stress disorder (PTSD). Written during her recovery, Ditson shares her remarkable story of resilience to offer survivors hope – and maybe even proof – that they too can heal.
Ditson will be holding Book Launch and Recovery Conversations at:
– the Kimberley Public Library at 7 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 16;
– the Trail & District Public Library at 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 17;
– the Castlegar & District Public Library at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday,Sept. 18;
– the Creston Valley Public Library at 6 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 19;
– the Kelowna public library at 6 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 23;
– the Revelstoke public library at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 24.
Ditson believes it is crucial that the national dialogue about sexual assault include conversations about PTSD and recovery because:
– Sexual assault is a leading cause of PTSD.
– One in four North American women have been sexually assaulted.
– Nearly a third of women develop PTSD after being raped.
– Women are more than twice as likely as men to develop PTSD.
– 9.2 per cent of Canadians develop PTSD at some point in their lives.
– Suicide risk is higher for those with PTSD.
“This incredibly brave and powerful memoir is written in prose both luminous and stark,” said Alison Pick, Man Booker Prize-nominated author of Strangers with the Same Dream and Far to Go. “I read it in one gulp, in awe of the author’s willingness to surrender to her experience of trauma and of her generosity in sharing her journey with her readers. Wide Open will take you to the farthest reaches of what it means to be human.”
Before Ditson’s manuscript had been selected by a publisher, it was awarded the John V. Hicks non-fiction prize. Wide Open is proudly published by Coteau Books. This book tour is made possible by the generous support of the Columbia Kootenay Cultural Alliance, the Columbia Basin Trust and your local libraries.
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