Domestic violence survivors from rural, regional and remote Australia share stories of strength in new book Violence to Victory

Australian domestic violence charity Broken to Brilliant launched its fifth book, Violence to Victory, at an invitation-only event at Royal on the Park, Brisbane on Sunday 24 May.

The book shares powerful stories of women who have lived through domestic and family violence in regional and outback Australia, and rebuilt their lives with courage, insight and hope.

Each author participated in Broken to Brilliant’s 12-month narrative-therapy Author Program. Founded and run by fellow survivors, this program supports victim-survivors to reflect on their experiences, reclaim their voice and transform their pain into wisdom for others.

Each author has grown in their creative writing skills across the course of the program, while also finding new measures of healing.

Broken to Brilliant Founding Director Kate Crowley-Smith said, “Violence to Victory continues the charity’s mission of domestic violence survivors mentoring fellow survivors to recover, heal and rebuild their lives.”

“Abusers often silence their victims. Now, these ten survivors’ voices are being heard. They have shared their stories so that other survivors know they are not alone and they, too, can recover and rebuild,” Ms Crowley-Smith said.

“For women living in rural, regional and remote Australia, the journey after abuse can be even more complex. Isolation, limited access to services, financial hardship, housing insecurity and the unique pressures of small communities can all make safety and recovery more difficult. This book shines a light on those experiences and honours the resilience and wisdom of survivors.”

Violence to Victory completes a powerful collection of survivor stories that includes Broken to Brilliant (2016), Terror to Triumph (2018), Shattered to Shining (2019), and Coerced to Courageous (2023).

Violence to Victory also completes the BRAVE series – a concept created by Broken to Brilliant Co-Founder Andrea – with a letter from each book titled used to spell BRAVE across the spines of the five books.

The BRAVE series represents a decade of survivor voices, lived-experience wisdom and practical hope – written from one survivor to another.

The launch of Violence to Victory marks the beginning of Broken to Brilliant’s next decade, continuing its mission to support survivors to recover, heal and rebuild their lives.

Contributing authors publish anonymously for their safety, but each story is rich and unique.

One of the authors said, “The power of story cannot be underestimated, for the giver and receiver of the story. It’s my heartfelt hope that the unique perspectives, knowledge and wisdom from our lived experiences in rural, regional and remote communities provide layers of support to anyone in need of the valuable insights given in this book.”

Another author said, the value “Trusting the commitment and process of these programs...even when I couldn't yet see the results...cannot be under-estimated or over-emphasised.”

“For me, family violence and the land is part of my DNA,” said another author. “I am very thankful for the experience to think, talk and live with this in a way my mum, my grandmother and my great-grandmother did not get to do.”

During the writing workshop, the authors undertook art therapy. An author said, “This activity was so cathartic to do…. I was able to grieve being abused … in a way I have never done before, and it gave me so much healing. Surprisingly, I found that completing the art piece assisted me in the writing of my story”.

And a fifth author said, “Tonight is not just a book launch. It is a celebration of survival. Of truth. Of voices that refused to stay silent.”

This book was made possible through a grant from the 2024 CommBank Staff Foundation Community Grant.

Broken to Brilliant’s Give a Book program distributes copies of the five books to women’s refuges, shelters, community organisations and services.

The launch of Violence to Victory will take place on the same day as Broken to Brilliant’s 10-year celebration, marking a decade of survivor-led recovery, mentoring, advocacy and healing programs.

Since its beginnings with the first Broken to Brilliant book, the charity has grown into a nationally recognised survivor-led organisation delivering more than 20 programs to support long-term recovery after domestic and family violence.

Broken to Brilliant’s books are created by survivors, for survivors. They not only tell stories of what happened; they show what is possible beyond abuse.

Event details

Book: Violence to Victory: Voices of Resilience from Domestic Violence Survivors in Rural, Regional and Remote Australia – Stories of Strength and Success

Launch date: Sunday, 24 May 2026

Time: 6.30 pm

Venue: Royal on the Park, Brisbane

Event type: Invitation-only book launch

About Broken to Brilliant

Broken to Brilliant is an Australian survivor-founded and survivor-led charity supporting domestic violence survivors in the post-crisis stage of recovery. Its mission is: Domestic Violence Survivors mentoring fellow survivors to recover, heal and rebuild their lives. The charity delivers trauma-informed, lived-experience programs that support survivors’ emotional, physical, psychological and financial wellbeing.