About this Event
Finding the Joy Within is a courageous and deeply personal memoir of identity, survival and spiritual reclamation.
A Stolen Generations survivor, Joy Makepeace grew up walking in two worlds, feeling too black to belong in a white world, and too white to be accepted by her own mob. Beneath her smile, questions of identity, worth, and belonging quietly shaped her life.
As she navigates trauma, mental health challenges, motherhood and the enduring ache of disconnection, Joy invites readers into the raw and often unspoken realities of carrying intergenerational pain. But this is not only a story of struggle.
Through meditation, deep self-listening, and fierce commitment to healing, Joy begins to uncover something that can't be stolen - her true self. Tender, confronting, and ultimately empowering, Finding the Joy Within is a testament to resilience, reclamation and the determination of choosing to heal.
Free Event.
Bookings are essential.
Copies of the book will be available for purchase.
This event is part of Reconciliation Events.
Author Biography:
Joy Makepeace is an Aboriginal writer and artist whose work explores identity, intergenerational trauma, and the sacred work of healing. As a woman shaped by the legacy of the Stolen Generations, she writes from the lived experience of walking in two worlds - navigating the complexities of belonging, culture and identity. With a background in education and counselling, Joy brings reflective insight to deeply personal storytelling. Her published essays have examined addiction, learned helplessness and the psychological residue of trauma. Through meditation and deep listening, she has cultivated a practice of reclaiming voice, choice, and joy. A mother of three adult children , Joy lives and creates on Ngadjuri country. Finding the Joy Within is her first full-length memoir.
Accessibility Pre-Visit Information
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Please note:
- Stay at home if you are unwell or have a cough, fever, sore throat, fatigue or shortness of breath.
- Maintaining social distancing is the responsibility of the individual.
The City of Charles Sturt would like to acknowledge the land we occupy today is the traditional lands of the Kaurna people and that we respect their spiritual relationship with their country. We also acknowledge the Kaurna people as the custodians of the greater Adelaide region and that their cultural and heritage beliefs are still as important to the living Kaurna people today.
Event Venue & Nearby Stays
Ngutungka West Lakes, 9 Charles Street, West Lakes, Australia
AUD 0.00
