Contact!Unload

George Belliveau is the head of the Department of Language and Literacy Education and a professor of drama/theatre education at the University of British Columbia. He is a professionally trained actor and has participated in over 100 theatre productions as an actor, director, or playwright. He is a member of the College of the Royal Society of Canada.

Graham W. Lea is an assistant professor of theatre education at the University of Manitoba. He has also taught at the National Institute of Education /Nanyang Technological Institute in Singapore, the University of British Columbia, and the University of Prince Edward Island. He has been involved in theatre for thirty years, working as a playwright, stage-manager, director, actor, musician, and technician.

Marv Westwood is Professor Emeritus in the Department of Counselling Psychology at the University of British Columbia. He is recognized internationally for the development of the Veteran’s Transition Program.

Contributors: Michael Balfour, Elizabeth Banister, Marla Buchanan, Christopher Cook, Susan Cox, Britney Dennison, Heather Duff, Foster Eastman, Lynn Fels, Timothy Garthside, Alistair G. Gordon, Anna Keefe, Carson A. Kivari, Tim Laidler, Carl Leggo, Phillip Lopresti, Chuck MacKinnon, Candace Marshall, Blair McLean, Jennica Nichols, John S. Ogrodniczuk, Marion Porath, JS Valdez

Matthew Overton, Brigadier-General (Retired):
While there is still work to be done in destigmatizing mental illness, the credibility given to Contact!Unload demonstrates the effect it has had on the changing attitudes to maintaining and regaining mental health within the military community – a success that any theatre company would be proud to claim as their own – Bravo Zulu!

His Royal Highness Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex:
Extremely powerful in communicating the experience of those on operations.

David Savill, artistic director, Age Exchange:
If we call on our military to go to war on our behalf, then we as a community have a responsibility to them when they come back. This absolutely engrossing book is a powerful voice in destigmatizing the mental illness that so many veterans face on their return.

Stéphanie Bélanger, associate scientific director, Canadian Institute for Military and Veteran Health Research:
Accessible and moving, Contact!Unload lays bare the deep work that went into creating the namesake play from soldiers’ stories. By the end, the reader understands the challenge of fighting an internal battle after war.