Description
Less than a year after being diagnosed with inoperable cancer, Fiona Mason's husband died at home. She was his carer. Unflinching in its detail, this book is a delicate chronicle of his last day and an account of thirty-six hours that changed her life. It's also an invitation to find better ways to talk about death and dying.
About the Author
Originally from the English midlands, author and artist Fiona Mason lives between the salt marshes of the east of England and the Ariege Pyrenees in Southwest France. After spending three decades working in the arts and cultural sector as a producer and fundraiser, she now combines her work as a writer and creative writing facilitator with roles as a coach and mentor. She is the author of 36 Hours, an unflinching memoir about the experience of caring for her husband at the end of life, which was shortlisted for the East Anglian Book Awards 2023. Her writing has also been shortlisted for the Pat Kavanagh Prize 2016, received a special mention in the Spread the Word Life Writing Prize 2017, was shortlisted for the Fish Publishing Lockdown prize (poetry) 2020 and has achieved awards from Arts Council England. She holds MAs in Philosophy (Essex) and Creative and Life Writing (Goldsmiths). Fiona is passionate about encouraging better conversations about death and dying in order that we can fully embrace the business of living, which in her case includes spending time tramping in mountains and indulging her love of coffee, cake, bookshops and galleries.
Reviews
This is a beautiful and moving account by Fiona Mason of her husband's death at home. Their experience of care professionals, who attended in person yet without compassion, is so deftly observed it made me wince. A perfect 36 Hour memoir. It's incredibly powerful. It's beautifully told. It's a gem. I think this is a book that has the power to make a difference. DR KATHRYN MANNIX; Fiona's intimate account of the last 36 hours of a man's life is a powerful work of life writing. It's courageous, tender, exasperated, angry, lyrical and occasionally even funny, but never voyeuristic. The simplicity of the prose and the honesty of observation are compelling. BLAKE MORRISON; Very moving and beautifully written. Marvellously clear and brave. JENNY UGLOW; Powerful and precise writing. It tackles elusive emotional states in a highly nuanced way. The detail is so lovingly preserved and presented. SASHA DUGDALE; Rarely have I felt so transported by someone else's words. Fiona draws you into the most intimate and personal of spaces and offers you the privilege of sharing 36 hours that would normally be invisible to the outside world. With great honesty and generosity, she invites us into her home as she cares for her dying husband. It's an invitation you won't want to turn down. BOBBIE FARSIDES, Professor of Clinical and Biomedical Ethics, Brighton and Sussex Medical School; 36 Hours addresses an area of real current debate and interest and does so in a way that prioritises both aesthetic and human concerns equally. Committed and talented writing. CHRIS GRIBBLE, National Centre for Writing; The writing is vivid and very clear, highlighting the delicate balance and poignancy of the work involved in end-of-life care and the minutiae of support involved in the simplest of daily activities, making the mundane poetic. A remarkable piece of work. KATE FLATT OBE; 36 Hours is such a powerful, moving and beautifully written book. Fi share's the truth of such an intimate and harrowing experience with so much clarity, grace and compassion. This story speaks to the need for more humanity in the treatment and care for those facing end of life. TOBY OLIVER, Author, Rise and Shine. Deeply moving and intensely raw. LI MILLS, Death Doula; I'm in awe of the honesty and openness with which Fiona described her experience. Her account is a wonderful way of opening up some much-needed conversations about death and dying, not only at a public/societal level but, also at the patient-professional level. DR SIMONE ALI, Consultant in Palliative Medicine;
Awards
Short-listed for East Anglian Book Awards 2023, Biography and Memoir category 2023 and Pat Kavanagh Prize 2016.
Book Information
ISBN 9781916165526
Author Fiona Mason
Format Paperback
Page Count 192
Imprint Word After Word Press
Publisher Word After Word Press
Dimensions(mm) 198mm * 129mm * 14mm
About the Author
Originally from the English midlands, author and artist Fiona Mason lives between the salt marshes of the east of England and the Ariege Pyrenees in Southwest France. After spending three decades working in the arts and cultural sector as a producer and fundraiser, she now combines her work as a writer and creative writing facilitator with roles as a coach and mentor. She is the author of 36 Hours, an unflinching memoir about the experience of caring for her husband at the end of life, which was shortlisted for the East Anglian Book Awards 2023. Her writing has also been shortlisted for the Pat Kavanagh Prize 2016, received a special mention in the Spread the Word Life Writing Prize 2017, was shortlisted for the Fish Publishing Lockdown prize (poetry) 2020 and has achieved awards from Arts Council England. She holds MAs in Philosophy (Essex) and Creative and Life Writing (Goldsmiths). Fiona is passionate about encouraging better conversations about death and dying in order that we can fully embrace the business of living, which in her case includes spending time tramping in mountains and indulging her love of coffee, cake, bookshops and galleries.
Reviews
This is a beautiful and moving account by Fiona Mason of her husband's death at home. Their experience of care professionals, who attended in person yet without compassion, is so deftly observed it made me wince. A perfect 36 Hour memoir. It's incredibly powerful. It's beautifully told. It's a gem. I think this is a book that has the power to make a difference. DR KATHRYN MANNIX; Fiona's intimate account of the last 36 hours of a man's life is a powerful work of life writing. It's courageous, tender, exasperated, angry, lyrical and occasionally even funny, but never voyeuristic. The simplicity of the prose and the honesty of observation are compelling. BLAKE MORRISON; Very moving and beautifully written. Marvellously clear and brave. JENNY UGLOW; Powerful and precise writing. It tackles elusive emotional states in a highly nuanced way. The detail is so lovingly preserved and presented. SASHA DUGDALE; Rarely have I felt so transported by someone else's words. Fiona draws you into the most intimate and personal of spaces and offers you the privilege of sharing 36 hours that would normally be invisible to the outside world. With great honesty and generosity, she invites us into her home as she cares for her dying husband. It's an invitation you won't want to turn down. BOBBIE FARSIDES, Professor of Clinical and Biomedical Ethics, Brighton and Sussex Medical School; 36 Hours addresses an area of real current debate and interest and does so in a way that prioritises both aesthetic and human concerns equally. Committed and talented writing. CHRIS GRIBBLE, National Centre for Writing; The writing is vivid and very clear, highlighting the delicate balance and poignancy of the work involved in end-of-life care and the minutiae of support involved in the simplest of daily activities, making the mundane poetic. A remarkable piece of work. KATE FLATT OBE; 36 Hours is such a powerful, moving and beautifully written book. Fi share's the truth of such an intimate and harrowing experience with so much clarity, grace and compassion. This story speaks to the need for more humanity in the treatment and care for those facing end of life. TOBY OLIVER, Author, Rise and Shine. Deeply moving and intensely raw. LI MILLS, Death Doula; I'm in awe of the honesty and openness with which Fiona described her experience. Her account is a wonderful way of opening up some much-needed conversations about death and dying, not only at a public/societal level but, also at the patient-professional level. DR SIMONE ALI, Consultant in Palliative Medicine;
Awards
Short-listed for East Anglian Book Awards 2023, Biography and Memoir category 2023 and Pat Kavanagh Prize 2016.
Book Information
ISBN 9781916165526
Author Fiona Mason
Format Paperback
Page Count 192
Imprint Word After Word Press
Publisher Word After Word Press
Dimensions(mm) 198mm * 129mm * 14mm
