Pearl Cove, it's time to have the talk

 Sorrow Unmasked: A human library of loss, resilience and connection

“Your joy is your sorrow unmasked.

And the selfsame well from which your laughter rises was oftentimes filled with your tears.

And how else can it be?

The deeper that sorrow carves into your being, the more joy you can contain.”

- Khalil Gibran

Photo by Cherry Laithang

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Location: Pearl Cove Library

Date: Saturday October 16^th, 2021

Time: 10am – 1pm (book a 20 minute appointment within this time period)

Tickets: $10, advanced bookings are necessary to secure a place. Book a ticket through Eventbrite here. 

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How often do you talk about the big stuff?

Come and join in Pearl Cove's human library this October 16th, where you can ‘borrow’ a human book for 20 minutes to learn more about loss, grief and resilience.

Maybe you lost a loved one, or you lost your job, or maybe your favourite gelato place closed and you’ve been feeling blue ever since. In this digital age, it’s easier than ever to distract yourself from examining life’s difficult moments, but are we losing out by keeping ourselves distanced from the universal experience of loss? Come and connect with our human books who can offer real insight into the experience of loss and how they grew around it.

Meet our books:

Maryanne Larkin: Co-founder of RUOK

Maryanne Larkin's husband Gavin was the founder of the RUOK suicide prevention charity. Having lost both her husband and son to cancer since, Maryanne has stated that acceptance has played a large role in her family coping with the unthinkable. Maryanne can share her experience in reaching a place of acceptance through grief. 

Jonathan Jones: Artist

Wiradjuri and Kamilaroi artist Jonathan Jones has a deep understanding of cultural loss and its lasting impacts. In 2016, Jones turned Sydney’s Royal Botanic Garden into a memorial to loss, drawing attention to the unseen stories of indigenous Australian’s. Jonathan can share his thoughts and meditations on inter-generational sorrow and cultural resilience in Australia. (Read more about his work 'Barrangal Dyara' here.)

Sam Dastyari: Former senator

Former politician and author of ‘One Halal of a Story’ Sam Dastyari has experienced a public fall from grace but lives to tell the tale. Readers of this book should note that Sam will not be talking politics at this event but will instead be sharing his experience in grappling with the personal fallout of bad decisions and public ire. 

Melissa Tan: Amputee

Melissa Tan lost her leg in a road accident and continues to manage the resulting chronic pain today. As a former dance teacher, Melissa is now a florist in Pearl Cove. She would love to share her journey of joy and sorrow on her long road to mental and physical recovery. 

Ahmed Sorour: Refugee

As a lawyer in Beirut in 1986, Ahmed left Lebanon to come to Australia because of the Lebanese civil war. Now a Pearl Cove resident and passionate bush regenerator, Ahmed would like to share his experience in overcoming his grief for the life he left in Lebanon, and how he learned to love Australia.

Siobhan Morrell