Bri Lee’s Eggshell Skull is about our justice system; its deep-rooted tenets and its disastrous shortcomings.

The book is Lee’s first-person account of her year as a judge’s associate in the District Court of Queensland, during which she watched endless cases of sexual assault and child abuse. Herself a survivor of childhood sexual assault, Lee was ultimately moved to bring her own case to court as a complainant. Her own journey through the justice system called for tremendous reserves of resilience and courage.

Praised by Helen Garner and Clementine Ford, Eggshell Skull is a meditation on power, abuse and institutional bias. It’s a clear-eyed examination of the toll our justice system takes on women and all survivors of abuse.

At Montalto, she joins Elizabeth McCarthy for a talk about power, justice and survival.

Note: This event includes discussion of sexual assault.

Books and Ideas at Montalto series sound design and music: Jon Tjhia.