Book Review – Just Writers: A Collection of Works by Disabled Writers

Whitehill

STAR RATING: 4/5

Living with disabilities can bring unique human experiences, writes
Simon Heng.

Nevertheless, the authors of this collection of poems and prose are
adamant in defining themselves in their own terms at the beginning
of Just Writers rather than be described by their
disabilities.

Contributions are grouped by themes. The first section focuses on
the “normality” of the writers’ perceptions: for example, what’s
enjoyable in life and descriptions of nature.

However, this section was the most disappointing for it could have
been a collection from any creative writing course.

In contrast, the next sections contain pieces which articulate
disabled experiences which are, in places, darkly humorous,
sometimes Kafkaesque and often deeply moving. A description of a
childhood friend, Freddie, moved me to tears, while an adult’s
depiction of her life with Asperger’s syndrome is worth the price
of the book on its own.

Simon Heng is physically disabled and works with service
user groups in Worcestershire