I am really delighted that the Employers Initiative on Domestic Abuse (EIDA) have profiled my novel Klaxon, as one of their Book Club Recommendations, alongside the fabulous Purple Hibiscus, by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie.
The book club recommendations are part of a package of resources designed to start a conversation about domestic abuse, as part of the global UN Women campaign "16 Days of Activism" against gender-based violence.
Fiction is a great way to engage people who may be unfamiliar with a subject and book clubs help stimulate debate and discussion.
If your organisation is not already a member of EIDA, it is free to join, and they provide excellent resources to help employers tackle domestic abuse in the workplace. Check out their Beacon members who are doing extraordinary work in this area, supporting employers and customers and helping to drive policy change.
I am guessing a few of you will already have switched off by now because you think this isn’t relevant to you. But before you move on to another post……
It is relevant to you. Whether you are aware of it or not, I guarantee that someone in your circle (whether it be family, friends or work colleagues) will be experiencing abuse. If it is someone close to you, you will know just how insidious controlling and abusive behaviour can be.
If you are an employer, domestic abuse will have a dramatic impact on your productivity. The social and economic costs of DA are estimated at £66 billion in England and Wales in the year 2016-17. £14 billion of this is the cost to the economy arising from lost output due to time off work.(Home Office, 2019. The Economic and Social Costs of Domestic Abuse)
Are you aware that Employers have a duty to safeguard the well-being of staff? The statutory guidance accompanying the Domestic Abuse Act 2021 makes clear that employers should consider the impact of domestic abuse on their employees as part of this duty of care.
Klaxon is first and foremost a psychological thriller, but the story helps debunk the idea that domestic abuse only happens to other people.
I know that people are uncomfortable talking about domestic abuse and I have a feeling that I would get more LinkedIn engagement if I posted a picture of a sad puppy - but if you have made it to the end of this post, let me know!
First published as a LinkedIn post by Niamh Bryan
#Klaxon #EIDA #domesticabuse #unitednations #16daysofactivism #ChimamandaNgoziAdichie #bookclub #bookcommunity #domesticabuseawarenessmonth
IMAGE courtesy of the Employers’ Initiative on Domestic Abuse. Resources, including a Domestic abuse book club pack, can be found at EIDA's '16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence' campaign page. This UN project is 'an annual international campaign that kicks off on 25 November, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, and runs until 10 December, Human Rights Day.'
KLAXON is a new novel and thriller about a woman seeking to escape an abusive and dangerous relationship. This Blog seeks to highlight issues around domestic violence and the sources of help for its victims. If you would like to find out more and to get involved with the blog or the promotion of Klaxon through book clubs and other means, please contact the Klaxon team.
Comments