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Presented in partnership with Vancouver Public Library. |
From the outside, David A. Robertson looks as if he has it all. The author of over 25 books in various genres, his achievements include numerous awards—not to mention a loving family and a platform for speaking on Indigenous perspectives, cultures and concerns. But what we see on the outside rarely reveals what is happening inside.
Robertson lives with “little monsters”: chronic, debilitating health anxiety and panic attacks accompanied, at times, by depression. During the worst periods, he finds getting out of bed to walk down the hall an insurmountable task.
The Canadian Mental Health Association reports that by the time we reach 40 years of age, half of Canadians will have—or previously have had—a mental health problem. Generalized anxiety disorders are on the rise, particularly among young people aged 15–24. In All the Little Monsters: How I Learned to Live with Anxiety, Robertson shares his personal story with warmth and candidness, in the hope of making other people’s mental health journeys a little less lonely.
David A. Robertson joins us at Incite in conversation with Vancouver Writers Fest Artistic Director Leslie Hurtig. He’ll speak about the tools that have helped him carry on, including community, therapy, medication, and the simple question he asks himself on repeat: what if everything will be okay?
Books will be for sale courtesy of Book Warehouse/Black Bond Books, with a signing afterwards. Can’t make the event time? Register for the livestream option and we’ll send you a link to watch the recording!