Mental Health in Books and Media: Two Special Events.

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Why is the representation of characters with a mental health diagnosis so important for writers, whether they are authors or journalists?

What can you do if you want to write about such a character, but don’t have experience of mental health yourself – so are concerned you are using the right language/terms?

What can you do if you have experience of mental health and want to use this in a memoir or as a basis for a novel?

The good thing is characters with mental health problems often bring with them that crucial factor – conflict. They may feel like an outsider, have conflicted feelings about whether to disclose their mental health issues etc.

So, they are a rich resource for writers, and with 1 in 4  (some say 1in 3) of us having some sort of mental health problem, it is important they are not overlooked. This is crucial for both writers and readers.

In view of this:-

The author and psychiatrist  ROSIE CLAVERTON is coming to the North-West for two special events.

They take place on Friday 13th October 

11am-12 The Meadows Library, Maghull

2-3pm The Atkinson Library, Southport (2 mins from the train station) 

Here she will be in discussion, talking about some of the questions  and points raised above, along with fascinating insights into writing about characters with a mental health condition. She will also be in discussion with me regarding the role of the media and mental health. 

Don’t miss these free special events! Go to Sefton Libraries on Twitter or Facebook if you want to find out more, or ask me in the comment section bekow.