Health Journeys: Panel
Thursday 6 August, 6:30 - 8:00pm
Rototuna Library, 30 North City Rd
Free Event, no registration required.
Come and join panellists Julie Legg and Suzanne Miller in conversation with chair Karina McHardy to hear about their journeys with autism, ADHD and OCD. Books will be for sale.
Free parking is available outside the library. Look out for our Hamilton Book Month flag banners.
This event is sponsored by HarperCollins, and supported by Hamilton City Libraries and Allen & Unwin.
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Author & Chair
Karina McHardy is a New Zealand health professional and writer with a career spanning clinical care, academia, health strategy, and global public health. She has contributed to major initiatives across the national health system and worked internationally with the University of Oxford and the World Health Organization. She holds a medical degree from the University of Auckland, a master’s in global health, and a doctorate from the University of Oxford.
Karina was recognised for her work in the public policy domain as a finalist in the New Zealand Women of Influence Awards in 2020; and was named as one of the University of Auckland’s ’40 Under 40’ the following year. A former elite gymnast and classical ballet dancer, she brings creativity, discipline and heart to all she does. Karina now focuses on improving outcomes for neurodiverse children and lives with her husband and young twins in Auckland.
Author
Suzanne Miller is passionate about helping others understand the complexity of OCD. After years of reading research to better understand OCD, she was inspired to write What If? What If? after her own experiences navigating the challenges of anxiety and intrusive thoughts within her family.
She holds a tertiary qualification in Business Communication and has a love of history and family history. As a mother of four, Suzanne sees family life as one of her most meaningful works. She is a creative person at heart and enjoys sewing, crocheting, and cardmaking.
What If? What If? is her debut novel and she has recently started her second. Born and raised in Palmerston North, she now lives in Hamilton.
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Author
Julie Legg is the author of The Missing Piece: A Woman's Guide to Understanding, Diagnosing and Living with ADHD (HarperCollins). Diagnosed with ADHD at 52, she brings both lived experience and research-led insight to the conversation.
The Missing Piece was written specifically to help both undiagnosed and newly diagnosed women with ADHD understand they are not alone. The book has been described as a 'safe space' for female readers who feel their own experiences are validated and shared. It lifts the lid on how ADHD traits can manifest in our daily lives, which at times can be difficult to explain to non-ADHD friends, work colleagues and family.
Julie is the host of the ADHDifference Podcast, where she has led over 100 conversations with experts and individuals exploring the complexities, strengths and realities of ADHD. Through her writing, speaking and advocacy, she is committed to reframing ADHD as a difference rather than a deficit, and to making the conversation more open, practical and accessible.
