An image of a little girl in a green dress. She is smiling and has her hands held in front of her, clasping them together. In the background is green grass and a greenish-yellow sky.

In a discussion facilitated by Ginger Gorman, Jeni Haynes will be talking about her book, The Girl in the Green Dress.

Described as 'unforgettable', The Girl in the Green Dress is a memoir from a woman who refused to be silenced. After enduring many years of abuse, Jeni fought to create a life for herself and bring her father to justice in a history-making ruling. In speaking out, Jeni's courage would see many understand Multiple Personality Disorder (MPD) for the first time.

Copies of the book can be purchased on the night from the National Library Bookshop and, following the discussion in the Theatre, Jeni Haynes will be available for book signings in the Foyer.

This event is free to attend but bookings are essential. 

On the evening, for those who wish to meet for refreshments prior to the event, Bookplate cafe will remain open until the event starts at 6pm.

For those unable to make it to Canberra for the talk, it will be available to view online via the Library's Facebook page. You do not need to book a ticket to watch the event online.

About the book

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A book cover. The text says 'The unforgettable and inspiring true life story of Jeni Haynes, a woman who suffered unimaginable abuse and developed multiple personalities to survive. The Girl in the Green Dress. Jeni Haynes and Dr George Blair-West with Alley Pascoe'. The image shows a small girl wearing green dress with grass in the background.

An intelligent, poised woman, Jeni Haynes sat in court and listened as the man who had abused her from birth, a man who should have been her protector, a man who terrified her, was jailed for a non-parole period of 33 years. The man was her father.

The fact Jeni survived is testament to the extraordinary strength of her mind.  What  saved  her  was  the  process  of  dissociation – Multiple Personality Disorder (MPD) or Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) – a defence mechanism that saw Jeni create over 2,500 separate personalities, or alters, who  protected  her  as  best  they  could  from  the  trauma.

With the support of her psychiatrist Dr George Blair-West, Jeni fought to create a life for herself and bring her father to justice.

About Jeni Haynes

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An image of a person with short hair, standing with her hands behind her back. She is wearing a black dress with white spots and red roses on it. In the background are trees and shrubs.

Dr Jennifer Haynes grew up in Greenacre in Sydney's western suburbs. After enduring horrific abuse, Jeni fought for years to bring her father before the courts to face justice for what he had done. In doing so, she created legal history. Jeni spent 18 years at university, graduating with a degree in psychology, masters in legal studies and criminal justice as well as a PhD focusing on victims of crime.

About Ginger Gorman

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An upper-body photograph of a woman with short black hair. She is wearing red earring, red lipstick and a back shirt. She is smiling.

Ginger Gorman is an award-winning print and radio journalist based in the Australian Capital Territory. She is also a 2006 World Press Institute Fellow. Her freelance work has been published in print and online in publications such as news.com.au, The Huffington Post, The Guardian, The Age, Mamamia and the ABC’s Drum website. Her first book, Troll Hunting, was published in 2019.

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Type Book event