A day he won’t have

I had bumped into a friend at the cash machine. We greeted each other, as we always do, with a … More

Open letter to Arthur Frank (on reading At the Will of the Body)

Dear Arthur Frank I’m writing to say thank you for your extraordinary book At the Will of the Body. It is … More

On the Edge After your mother dies, you will learn to live on the edge of life, to brace … More

Dying Nothing to be said about it, and everything – The change of changes, closer or further away: The … More

I dreamt about my friend X last night. I don’t think I normally dream about him, and don’t recall having … More

Yesterday was the sixth anniversary of my diagnosis with non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma (NHL), an aggressive cancer of the lymphatic system. I … More

Breathing Space July The man who lies on his back under huge trees is also up in them. He … More

The only real difference between people is not health or illness but the way each holds onto a sense of … More

‘What drives you?’ ‘I’ve only just woken up!’ I say to the book. ‘Don’t care. It’s morning. Work to be … More

On certain afternoons I am certain it has come back. A twinge in my right side, where the pain … More

The thing about having cancer was that it was pretty obvious what was going on. I had been feeling fairly … More

This blog would be nothing without its readers. Thank you to everyone who stopped by, made a comment or a … More

‘So you’re not going to write about it?’ ‘I’ve been writing about it for years. Two whole books of it! … More

I had bumped into a friend at the cash machine. We greeted each other, as we always do, with a … More

Writing my way through bereavement I don’t approve of death. I’m with Edna St Vincent Millay: I am not … More

Don’t Think About A White Horse Coming closer, he turns out to be you – or nearly. Once you … More

Reading Arthur W. Frank’s astonishing At the Will of the Body recently has given me pause to reflect on the relationship … More

Dear Arthur Frank I’m writing to say thank you for your extraordinary book At the Will of the Body. It is … More