Adelle Purdham, Author
Hi! My name is Adelle Purdham (she/her) and I’m the author of the memoir-in-essays, I Don’t Do Disability And Other Lies I’ve Told Myself (Dundurn Press, 2024). I’m a qualified French teacher with an MFA in Creative Nonfiction, and I’ve been fortunate to give talks, as a parent disability ally and speaker, around the world. I’m also a mom to three girls—one of whom has Down syndrome. I write about disability parenting, motherhood, writing, and the experience of being a woman in a patriarchal world. In my work, I strive to call out ableism (my own included), debunk stereotypes, and offer a counter-cultural view of individuals with Down syndrome and those who parent them.
My essays are finalists in several literary contests, including: The Writer’s Union of Canada’s Short Prose Competition, EVENT Magazine and The Fiddlehead’s Creative Nonfiction Contests. I currently work as a Sessional Part-time Faculty member at Trent University where I teach creative writing. For more about me and my professional bio, please visit my bio.


Available Now!
I Don’t Do Disability And Other Lies I’ve Told Myself
A raw and intimate portrait of family, love, life, relationships, and disability parenting through the eyes of a mother to a daughter with Down syndrome.
A Fall 2024 Most Anticipated Memoir & Biography by Indigo and 49th Shelf.
Canada
United States



In the News
“Holiday Gift Guide: In these 25 books, you’ll find something special for everyone on your list”—The Toronto Star, December 15 2024
“I Don’t Do Disability And Other Lies I’ve Told Myself”—Review, Quill & Quire November 2024
“Most Anticipated: Our Fall 2024 Nonfiction Preview” —49th Shelf, September 2024
“Adelle Purdham is Helping Parents Reclaim the Narrative”— Front Page, The Peterborough Examiner, July 9 2024