Contributors needed for new book

Novelist Joanna Cannon, who qualified as a psychiatrist, is working on a new book – and she would like your help. 

Jo has teamed up with Harper Collins publishers to produce a book that pairs 12 people who have experienced mental health issues with 12 best-selling authors – and in each case, the author tells the person’s story for them. 

She would love to hear from you, if you would like your story to be told in the book - whether you've experienced mental health issues yourself, or if you know someone who would like their story told.  

Jo explains:

“I want to create a collection of real-life patient stories about living with mental illness and about experiences people may have heard of, but perhaps have never really understood.” 

The idea came to Jo after she was a judge for a College competition in 2021.  

“It occurred to me that there are so many incredible voices and so many untold stories out there.

“It made me want to find a way we could tell some of those kinds of stories, which are so rich and valuable, and an idea began to form of pairing a patient with a well-known author, and together they could tell the patient's story and bring it to a wider audience.

“I did a very tentative shout-out on Twitter and so many very prolific writers immediately said they wanted to be a part of it, which was incredible.

“My publisher, HarperCollins, think it's a fabulous idea and so it's all going ahead. We have lots of authors willing to help patients tell their stories, but we need twelve stories to tell.”

If you want to be involved in the project please complete this form and email it to willyoureadthisplease@harpercollins.co.uk.

Back to our November 2021 eNewsletter.