Human Library – Creating Courageous Conversations

Caulfield Campus hosted its inaugural Human Library event in October with more than 20 ‘Human Books’ – staff, students and those within our broader community – sharing their personal stories. 

Each Year 9 student chose a ‘book’ they would like to read and joined intimate groups to hear stories about overcoming prejudice, discrimination and misguided assumptions and to engage in courageous conversations about these experiences. 

The Human Library started in Denmark in 2000 and has since spread to over 80 countries worldwide. The concept aligns with our School Values: sharing personal stories to promote a deeper understanding of diversity, broaden perspectives, and nurture empathy and respectful relationships within the community. 

We thank each and every storyteller for sharing their moving stories – from refugee to runway model, from the streets of Afghanistan to the soccer fields of Australia, from being diagnosed with Lyme disease as a young student to suffering a stroke at aged 34 – and giving our Year 9 students an insight into extraordinary challenges and experiences outside everyday life.