Writing Wild 2
December issue
As November came to a close, we welcomed authors Kerri ni Dochartaigh, Katie Holten and Marchelle Farrell to the Wild Women Writers’ Salons to take a deep dive into what it means to write words of connection and care in times of crisis. At a moment when the world seems particularly brutal, Salon 2 was a quiet space to explore our role and responsibility as writers to be communicators of hope at these times and reflect on what it is to love, grieve, hold onto and let go.
A deep thank you to Katie Holten, Kerri ni Dochartaign and Marchelle Farrell…
For those of you who missed it, remember that you can upgrade to our paid subscription and access recordings of all salon events as we go along.
Coming up … Salon 3
Our Vital Capacity - trauma, memoir and the creative act of reclamation
Thursday 25th January at 7 - 8.30 pm GMT
Join us for Salon 3 to take a deep dive into what it is to write from a place of trauma as an act of reclamation and empowerment, with authors Lily Dunn (The Sins of My Father: A Daughter, a Cult, a Wild Unravelling), Rebecca Fogg (Beautiful Trauma: A Journey of Discovery in Science and Healing) and Dr Liz O’Riordan (Under the Knife: Life Lessons from the Operating Theatre).
Introducing our Salon Guests - Lily Dunn, Rebecca Fodd & Dr Liz O’Riordan
Lily Dunn
Lily is an author, mentor and academic. Her debut nonfiction, Sins of My Father: A Daughter, A Cult, A Wild Unravelling, a memoir about the legacy of her father’s addictions (W&N), was The Spectator and The Guardian Best Nonfiction Book 2022. Her forthcoming book, Into Being: The radical craft of memoir and its power to transform is due to be published by MUP in 2025. She is also the author of a work of fiction, Shadowing the Sun (Portobello Books, 2007), and co-editor of A Wild and Precious Life (Unbound, 2021), an anthology of stories on recovery from mental illness and addiction. She teaches narrative nonfiction and memoir at Bath Spa University and co-runs the London Lit Lab.
The Sins of My Father
THE SPECTATOR AND THE GUARDIAN BEST NONFICTION BOOK 2022
When Lily Dunn was just six years old, her father left the family home to follow his guru to India, trading domestic life for clothes dyed in oranges and reds and the promise of enlightenment with the cult of Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh. Since then, he has been a mystery to her.
She grew up enthralled by the image of him: effervescent, ambitious and elusive, a writer, publisher and entrepreneur, a man who would appear with gifts from faraway places and with whom she spent the long, hot summers of her teenage years in Italy, in the company of his wild and wealthy friends.
Yet he was also a compulsive liar, a delinquent, a man who abandoned his responsibilities in a pursuit of transcendence that took him from sex addiction, via the Rajneesh cult, to a relentless chase of money, which ended in ruin and finally addiction to alcohol and prescription drugs.
A detective story that charts two colliding narratives, Sins of My Father is a daughter's attempt to unravel the mysteries of a father who believed himself to be beyond reproach. A dazzling work of literary memoir, it asks how deep legacies of shame and trauma run and if we can reconcile unconditional love with irreparable damage.
‘Considerable courage is needed to return to the stark, bright light of trauma in this shirking-nothing way; but writing of this intensity has delivered an astonishing and valuable memoir ’ — THE SPECTATOR
Rebecca Fogg
Rebecca is an American author now based in England. In 2008, Rebecca Fogg walked away from her New York life and career in financial services to move to London, where she co-founded the Institute of Pre-Hospital Care at London’s Air Ambulance and continues to work, write and learn Scottish fiddle. BEAUTIFUL TRAUMA: A JOURNEY OF DISCOVERY IN SCIENCE AND SELF is Fogg’s first book. It was awarded the 2019 Royal Society of Literature Giles St. Aubyn Judge's Special Commendation for work in progress.
Beautiful Trauma
Part memoir, part medical investigation, this is a compelling account of surviving a freak accident, and a fascinating exploration of the science of trauma and recovery.
Late one night, Rebecca Fogg's hand is partially amputated in an explosion in her flat. Quick thinking saves her life, but the journey to recovery is a slow one. As the doctors rebuild her hand, Rebecca (who also survived 9/11) rebuilds her sense of self by studying the physical and psychological process of recovery.
Interspersing the personal with the medical, Rebecca charts her year of rehabilitation, touching on the marvellously adaptable anatomy of the hand; how the brain's fight or flight mechanism suppresses conscious thought so we can react instantly to danger; and why trauma causes some people to develop PTSD, while giving others a whole new lease of life.
Told with great emotional and intellectual clarity, BEAUTIFUL TRAUMA explores the resilient nature of the human spirit and the power we all hold in our hands.
‘This is a book of grace and hope. Grace in the recovery from pain and fear, and hope in the acceptance of a new, fascinating life’ — DR EMILY MAYHEW, author of WOUNDED
Dr Liz O’Riordan
Liz was diagnosed aged 40 with breast cancer whilst working as a consultant breast surgeon. Two years later, she had a local recurrence, and the side effects of treatment forced her to retire in 2019. She now talks all over the world about how to improve patient care. She wrote ‘The Complete Guide to Breast Cancer: How to Feel Empowered and Take Control’ to carry on helping patients. Her podcast, ‘Don’t Ignore The Elephant’, talks about the things no one else does. Liz is also a keen sportswoman and is passionate about promoting the benefits of exercise for cancer patients. Turning to writing, speaking and educating online, she is now an influential and inspiring voice in breast cancer awareness, sharing her knowledge and experiences through her podcast, talks, YouTube channel, social media and writing. When asked why she decided to write her memoir, she answered: I wanted the public to know how hard it is to train to be a surgeon; I wanted to talk publicly for the first time about my suicidal depression and share what it was like to be on the other side of the operating table.
Under the Knife
Dr Liz O’Riordan is a breast cancer surgeon who has battled against social, physical and mental challenges to practise at the top of her field. Under the Knife charts Liz’s incredible highs: performing like a couture dressmaker as she moulded and reshaped women’s breasts while saving their lives, to the heart-breaking lows of telling ten women a day that they had cancer.
But this memoir is more than just an eye-opening look at the realities of training to be a female surgeon in a man’s world. In addition to this high-powered, high-pressured role, Liz faced her own breast cancer diagnosis, severe depression and suicidal thoughts in tandem with commonplace sexual harassment and bullying. And by revealing how she coped when her life crashed around her, she demonstrates there is always hope.
‘(Under the Knife) reminds us all that our achievements do not define us. In the end, we find wisdom by living authentically, and that decision is the root of fulfilment’ — Dr KATHRYN MANNIX
Introducing the salon host…
Victoria Bennett is an award-winning disabled poet, author, carer and founder of Wild Women Press. Her debut memoir, All My Wild Mothers: motherhood, loss and an apothecary garden, was long-listed for the Nan Shepherd Prize and won the New Writing North Northern Debut Award. When the impact of grief, motherhood, and illness force a move to a newly built social housing estate in rural Cumbria, Victoria and her young son set about transforming the rubble of the former brownfield site into a wild, apothecary garden. With no money and only the weeds they can find for free, they discover that sometimes life grows, not in spite of what is broken, but because of it. A memoir of motherhood, grief, and the archaic wisdom of plants, rooted in the familiar and forgotten that lies beneath our feet.
‘Lyrical and beautiful and feels like a haven in a cynical world - exactly the book we all need to read right now’ CATHERINE SIMPSON
What are the Wild Women Writers’ Salons?
The Wild Women Writers’ Salons will run on the last Thursday of every month (except December), alternating between day and evening events all the way until November 2024. Our first year focuses on memoir and creative nonfiction - and what a fantastic line-up of wild women writers we have for you!
With a treasure chest of amazing writers from across the globe. These are different from your regular Zoom sessions. We're creating a welcoming and inspiring space for authors of memoirs and creative nonfiction to gather and engage in meaningful conversation and reflection on their writing journeys.
Each salon will feature three fantastic guest writers from across the globe. Here’s a sneak peek of what you can expect:
Dive deep into the world of words.
Hear authors share their works.
Get a behind-the-scenes look at the creative process.
Real talk about publishing highs and lows.
Engage in some heart-to-heart during the Q&A session.
Remember, ticket sales & subscriptions help value and pay the amazing people making these salons possible - from behind the scenes to fabulous authors!
That’s all for free subscribers this month. We will continue giving you advance notice of our salons throughout the year. However, consider upgrading to a paid subscriber if you’d like to receive access to more behind-the-scenes conversations with our guest authors, event recordings, writing prompts, opportunities, and more.
We will be back in January 2024. Meanwhile, keep writing wild!
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