The poems in this book explore the causes of Phil's own depressive illness.
Was his trauma trans-generational? Can it be traced somehow to the brutal death of his uncle, 12 year old Dennis O'Neill, at the hands of foster parents in 1945? Front page news at the time, the case continues to attract media attention.
"From this real life happening I took the idea for The Mousetrap"
Agatha Christie
A harrowing trial, public inquiries, a Home Office report and an Act of Parliament followed. As a fascinating aside, Agatha Christie based The Mousetrap on the death of Phil's uncle, keeping his family's story in the public eye. Could this also have added to the struggles Phil faced?
"An epic journey of self-discovery captured in all its rawness"
Jo Loughran, Director Time to Change
Phil shares his suffering through poems written during a period when he went through a life-threatening breakdown. In later life, having gained an MA in creative writing, he rediscovered those poems written up to 35 years earlier. They are presented here, unedited, together with new ones that encourage survival, recovery and healing. There's a place for humour as well.
Phil's wish, in bringing together these poems, is to offer solace and hope for people with depressive illness, as well as inviting everyone to appreciate poetry's life-affirming power.
