"Late Bloomer: How an Autism Diagnosis Changed My Life" with Clem Bastow

Event Description

Join us on World Autism Understanding Day to hear Clem Bastow in conversation with Claire Halliday.

Clem's book "Late Bloomer" is a heartfelt coming-of-age memoir that will change the way you think about autism. Clem grew up feeling like she’d missed a key memo on human behaviour. She found the unspoken rules of social engagement confusing, arbitrary and often stressful. Friendships were hard, relationships harder, and the office was a fluorescent-lit nightmare of anxiety. It wasn’t until Clem was diagnosed as autistic, at age 36, that things clicked into focus.

With wit and warmth, Clem reflects as an autistic adult on her formative experiences as an undiagnosed young person, from the asphalt playground of St Joseph's Primary School in Melbourne to working as an entertainment journalist in Hollywood. Along the way she challenges the broader cultural implications and ideas around autism, especially for women and gender-diverse people. Deconstructing the misconceptions and celebrating the realities of autistic experience, "Late Bloomer" is as heartbreaking as it is hilarious and will stay with you long after the reading.

Claire Halliday is a storyteller and accomplished author who will be a familiar face to our regular program attendees, as she is an expert interviewer who engages audiences with her insightful questions.