A Little Unsteadily into Light: New Dementia-Inspired Fiction

by Jan Carson, Jane Lugea (Editor), Mary Morrissey (Contributor)

New fiction

Suad Aldarra, Caleb Azumah Nelson, Jan Carson, Elaine Feeney, Oona Frawley, Sinéad Gleeson, Anna Jean Hughes, Caleb Klaces, Naomi Krüger, Henrietta McKervey, Paul McVeigh, Mary Morrissy, Nuala O'Connor, and Chris Wright

To live with dementia is to develop extraordinary and various new ways of being – linguistically, cognitively and practically. The storyteller operates similarly, using words and ideas creatively to reveal a slightly different perspective of the world.

In this anthology of fourteen new short stories, commissioned by Jan Carson and Jane Lugea, some of the best contemporary writers from Ireland and the UK powerfully and poignantly explore the depths and breadth of the real dementia experience, traversing age, ethnicity, class and gender, sex and consent. Each writer’s story is drawn from their own personal experience of dementia and told with outrageous and dark humour, empathy and startling insight. Here are heroes and villains, tricksters and saints, mothers, fathers, lovers, friends, characters whose past has overshadowed their present and characters who are making a huge impact on the world they currently find themselves in. They might have dementia, but dementia is only a small part of who they are. They will challenge, frustrate, inspire and humble you.

Above all, these brilliant pieces of short fiction disrupt the perceived notions of what dementia is and, in their diversity, honesty and authenticity begin to normalise an illness that affects so many and break down the stigma endured by those living with it every day.



Find out more about the AHRC-funded research project based at Queen's University Belfast, from which this anthology has www.blogs.qub.ac.uk/dementiafiction/

Genres: Short Stories, Fiction

240 pages, Paperback

Published November 2, 2022

About the author

Jan Carson is a writer and community arts development officer currently based in Belfast, Northern Ireland. She has a BA in English Literature from Queen’s University Belfast and an MLitt. In Theology and Contemporary Culture from St. Andrew’s University, Scotland. Jan has had short stories published in literary journals on both sides of the Atlantic, has had two of her plays produced for the Belfast stage and is a current recipient of the Arts Council NI’s Artist’s Career Enhancement Bursary. Her first novel, “Malcolm Orange Disappears” will be published by Liberties Press, Dublin on June 2nd 2014.

Reviews

[soulady__ · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5/5 stars. some stories were a lot better than others, but all in all a very good book. i tend to seek out irish short stories as much as i can, and while this caught my eye, it was something different than i usually go for. my 2 favourite stories were ‘the three strangers’ and ‘heatwave’. highly recommend!

[Mary Crawford · Rating 4 out of 5]

The introduction and comments at the end placed the current fiction writing on dementia in the context of how many of us have some experience of dementia in our lives. The stories themselves resonated and shared the vast scope of how dementia affects people in many different ways. A hard read in many ways but it was also an acknowledgment of a major issue in society.

[Melissa Foo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not an easy read - some stories are a little more complex with more characters & their points of views so it takes some time to digest each story. BUT - I love this book because it’s given me a deeper insight into the unique characteristics of dementia, the effects on not just those who live with it but loved ones too. I am also greatly appreciative of the language used to describe these stories! It made understanding dementia more accessible :)

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

This collection of short stories around the theme of dementia is well worth a read. It certainly gives much food for thought. I would recommend reading the Introduction and Afterword too.