Today on Life Of A Nerdish Mum, I'm sharing my review of a very special book - In Other Words. A big thank you to the authors, publisher and Anne Cater of Random Things Tours.
In Other Words
A shift in the nature of light reveals an eighth colour in the visible spectrum. A boy befriends the last tree in the natural world. A single mother finds help at the darkest point of her life. A young man finds himself trapped in a university overrun by crows.
These stories and more form In Other Words, an anthology as diverse as the writers themselves. Some cover trauma, societal issues and stigma; others offer fragments of hope and light. Some reach back in time while others transport us to another dimension altogether. There is heartbreak, wit, humour, poignancy and above all a mastery of the imagination.
What these transcendent stories share is that they were created by autistic writers, people often dismissed as unimaginative or incapable of creativity a myth that has persisted for generations. This collection hopes to shatter those stereotypes, those misconceptions and misunderstandings, and the perception that one must be neurotypical to be afforded a voice in the arts.
My Review
What a wonderful and perfect anthology of short stories! Not one story was less than another and each was extremely enjoyable in a different way.
I laughed, cried and wondered throughout and feel I went through a whole gamut of emotions in between. I've been trying to decide if I had a favourite story, but genuinely I think it'd be unfair to make me choose and as it's my review I decided to say they're all my favourite, just for different reasons.
The level of writing skill in each story is amazing and some beautiful prose is used. What Mainspring Arts have done to be able for this work to be shared is commendable as we might have missed out on some amazing new authors.
I absolutely loved reading In Other Words and I will be getting myself a hard copy to keep in my collection.
100% 5 stars for this anthology.
About Mainspring Arts
Mainspring Arts, a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to making the arts
inclusive, diverse, and accessible to all, was founded in 2015 by Katya Balen and
Miranda Prag. They were frustrated by the lack of diversity in the arts, where
neurotypical and non-disabled actors or writers frequently assume the roles or
voices of neurodivergent people, or those with disabilities. Katya and Miranda
believe those people should be able to tell their own stories, and Mainspring
Arts exists to help them do it. @mainspring_arts
Don't Forget To Check Out The Rest Of The Tour
Thanks for the blog tour support x
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