A Work in Progress: Literature Which References Dementia
A few weeks back I asked friends and colleagues to send me through a list of literary texts, plays and films, (both fiction and non-fiction), which reference or reflect Dementia. I was kind of blown away by just how much is out there and wanted to compile a list in case it’s of use to anyone who’s working in the same areas I’m interested in. This is most definitely a work in progress and I’m keen to add to it, and for it to be used as a resource for other. Please shoot me a wee email if you know of anything I’ve missed out on. (I’ll do my best to update the list). Some of the work on this list is absolutely fabulous and I’d thoroughly recommend taking a few hours out to read/watch/explore. I will say, as a bit of a caveat, not all of the examples listed are the best examples of good art or the most accurate depiction of living with Dementia BUT in the spirit of trying to be comprehensive, it’s good to have as full a list as possible. Hope this is helpful.
Prose Fiction:
Samantha Harvey – The Wilderness
Matthew Thomas – We Are Not Ourselves
Lisa Genova – Still Alice
Emma Healy – Elizabeth is Missing
Nicholas Sparks – The Notebook
Mordecia Richler – Barney’s Version
Jonathan Franzen – The Corrections
Alice Munro – “The Bear Came Over the Mountain” in Hateship, Friendship, Courtship, Love, Marriage
Jan Carson – “Den and Estie Do Not Remember the Good Times” in Children’s Children
Anne Enright – “Three Stories About Love” in The Long Gaze Back
Prose Non-Fiction:
Sally Magnuson – Where Memories Go
Prof. June Andrews – The One Stop Guide To Dementia
Martin Slevin – The Little Girl in the Radiator: Mum, Alzheimer’s and Me
Christine Bryden – Dancing With Dementia: My Story of Living Positively with Dementia
Susan Elliot- Wright – When Someone You Love Has Dementia
Lisa Jacobs Altman – Alzheimer’s Disease
Edward C. Willett – Diseases and People: Alzheimer’s Disease
Lia Mills – “Crib” in Winter Pages Vol. 1
Oliver James – Contented Dementia: 24-Hour Wraparound Care for Lifelong Well-being
Graphic Novels:
Paco Roca – Wrinkles
Poetry:
Edwin Mortier – The Stammered Songbook
Sarah Hesketh – The Hard Word Box
Leontia Flynn – Profit and Loss
Moyra Donaldson – Snakeskin Stilletos and Beneath the Ice
Film:
You’re Looking At Me Like I Live Here But I Don’t
Still Alice
Alive Inside
Away From Her
Lilting
Floride
Nebraska
The Iron Lady
The Notebook
The Savages
Barney’s Version
Blogs:
www.dementiablog.org
www.trebusprojects.org
Drama:
Florian Zeller – The Father
Glyn Maxwell – The Lion’s Face (Opera)
Nicola Wilson – Plaques and Tangles
Kim Noble – You’re Not Alone
Riding Lights Theatre Company – Simeon’s Watch
Barney Norris – Visitors
Trevor T. Smith – An Evening With Dementia
Ian Kershaw – Lost and Found
Tanya Meyers – Inside Out of Mind
Frank McGuinness – The Hanging Gardens
