Panel - After the Unthinkable - How to Write about Trauma

What happens when life delivers the kind of blow that divides everything into before and after?

Dr Jodi-Maree Cronin and Todd Maguire have each faced profound personal devastation — from career-ending trauma and unimaginable family loss to suicide, mental health battles and the hidden scars of service. In this raw and deeply human discussion, they explore grief, identity, resilience and the difficult road toward rebuilding a life of meaning after the unthinkable. Hosted by Roxanne McCarty-O’Kane, two extraordinary people whose lives were shattered in profoundly different ways explore what it takes to find a way forward and how to write about it.

Dr Jodi-Maree Cronin is the director of Dogz 4 Life and founder of Canine Integrative Relational Therapy. A retired doctor, medical manager and educator, she now specialises in assistance dog training and animal-assistance therapy. With qualifications spanning medicine, counselling and animal behaviour, Jodi brings an empathetic, evidence-based approach to supporting people impacted by trauma and life challenges. Her work is guided by a deep belief in the healing power of the human-animal bond. As the author of Benni: The best medicine has paws, Jodi-Maree is becoming a strong advocate for the power of the human-animal bond.

Todd Maguire spent 27 years with the Queensland Police Service – undercover operations, major crime investigations, tactical operations, counter-terrorism, bomb detection and work across the state. He helped put away traffickers, violent offenders and major criminal networks.  He’s received a Certificate of Recognition and a Commissioner’s Citation for his work infiltrating organised crime groups and helping bring more than 500 charges across major operations.  But behind the medals and commendations was a bloke carrying more than anyone knew. 

Roxanne McCarty-O’Kane is a multi-award-winning ghost-writer, author, writing mentor and former journalist who has helped hundreds of aspiring authors bring their nonfiction books to life. Roxanne is best known for her Ignite & Write Author Community and her internationally embraced book trilogy, which guide writers from mindset to manuscript to publication with confidence and purpose. Her workshops and presentations are filled with practical tools and down-to-earth, inspiring storytelling that removes the mystery from the writing process. A passionate advocate for everyday storytellers, Roxanne’s Ignite & Write is fast becoming a global hub for writer support and guidance. She continues to empower people everywhere to ignite their stories and share them with the world.

Discover more about the Eumundi Writers Festival here: https://eumundiwritersfestival.com.au/