Whatever Gets You Through

Through the voices of twelve diverse writers, Whatever Gets You Through: Twelve Survivors on Life After Sexual Assault offers a powerful look at the narrative of sexual assault not covered by the headlines - the weeks, months, and years of survival and adaptation that people live through in its aftermath. 

With a foreword by Jessica Valenti, an extensive introduction by editors Stacey May Fowles and Jen Sookfong Lee, and contributions from acclaimed literary voices such as Alicia Elliott, Elisabeth de Mariaffi, Heather O’Neill, and Juliane Okot Bitek, the collection explores some of the many different forms that survival can take.

From ice hockey to kink, boxing to tapestry-making, these striking personal essays address experiences as varied as the writers who have lived them. With candour & insight, each writer shares their own unique account of enduring: the everyday emotional pain and trauma, but also the incredible resilience & strength that can emerge in the aftermath of sexual assault.

Contributors: Gwen Benaway, Juliane Okot Bitek, Elly Danica, Amber Dawn, Alicia Elliott, Karyn Freedman, Heather O’Neill, Elisabeth de Mariaffi, Lauren McKeon, Soraya Palmer, Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha, Kai Cheng Thom