The Speech and Language Therapy department has been involved in the research for the new novel by Jon McGregor, Lean Fall Stand.
The book, which has also recently been read on BBC Radio 4, is centred on a man who has a stroke while on an expedition in Antarctica and, as a result, develops the communication disorder aphasia.
Aphasia is a condition that can develop after the areas of the brain that produce language are damaged. People with aphasia may have difficulties with spoken language, comprehension, reading or writing. Around 350,000 people in the UK live with aphasia and it can affect many aspects of a person’s life, from work and hobbies to relationships with friends and family, with about 65% of people becoming depressed as a result of the debilitating condition.
The novel charts the main character’s journey through the NHS and, in particular, his experience of Speech and Language Therapy. The Nottingham based writer, Jon, asked the Speech and Language Therapy team for their advice on the disorder and what a person with aphasia might expect from Speech and Language Therapy. The team also introduced Jon to the self-help group, Aphasia Nottingham, where he joined the group for a year to find out more about the disorder.
To find more information about aphasia: https://www.stroke.org.uk/what-is-aphasia or follow the Speech and Language Therapy team’s Twitter account @ncitycare_SLT
To listen to the podcast of Lean Fall Stand: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000vq7h
Date published: 19 July 2021
