#15 Writing About Stroke In Fiction - with Lean Fall Stand Author Jon McGregor
Manage episode 434552535 series 3593443
Award-winning author, Jon McGregor, set out to write about the Antarctic but it was to become a novel about stroke.
Jon sat down with Julia and Elizabeth for On A Good Day to discuss the book, Lean Fall Stand, with many of its themes resonating with both hosts.
Lean Fall Stand looks at the impact of stroke on survivor Robert and his wife who suddenly takes on the role of carer. It explores the challenges of communication post brain injury and its impact on the family and community.
Jon tells them about the research he did to help create characters which were "real people" including an eye-opening group session for people with aphasia.
In the novel, Jon refers to the lack of services available to help rehabilitate stroke survivors, speaking of his sadness at discovering how stretched they had become.
Lean Fall Stand is an insightful exploration of stroke and with a potential film version of the book in the pipeline, is sure to reach an even wider audience in the future.
You can buy Jon McGregor's book Lean Fall stand here: https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/lean-fall-stand-jon-mcgregor/5752546?ean=9780008204945
About Jon McGregor
Jon McGregor is a writer of novels and short stories, including Lean Fall Stand, Reservoir 13, and If Nobody Speaks of Remarkable Things. He won the Dublin Literature Prize in 2012, and the Costa Novel Award in 2017. He is a Professor of Creative Writing at the University of Nottingham, where he edits The Letters Page, a literary journal in letters. He lives in Nottingham.
You can follow Jon on Instagram and Twitter: @jon_mcgregor
In the episode, Jon talks about some of the research he did while writing the book including the Rosetta Life organisation, and the Stroke Odysseys show : https://strokeodysseys.org/about-stroke-odysseys/
Jon's Antarctic research was with the British Antarctic Survey 'Artists & Writers Programme'. His 2004 residency was part of: https://www.bas.ac.uk/media-post/experience-antarctica-in-london-and-plymouth/
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