Fiction can provide a platform to discuss mental illness in everyday life and help reduce stigma. Stories can show that people are more than their illness.  In their books Salsa in the Suburbs and Exuberance, Alejandra Martinez and Bel Vidal have created characters with complex lives, experiencing both good and difficult times. They show that there are times when mental health conditions can be disabling and at other times, people can thrive.

Writing characters living with mental health issues can also give readers space to reflect on their own experiences.

Bel and Alejandra, in conversation with Veronica Macdonald, Lifeline Macarthur Western Sydney CEO, will talk about writing mental illness into stories, and how their own lived experience informs their work.