Pill-Rolling Fingers

Pill-Rolling Fingers is a series of poems by Marsden-funded researcher Tara Coleman. It brings together personal poems from her own experience of early-onset Parkinson’s and research poems crafted from the stories of 48 other New Zealanders living with the condition.

It expresses what it is like to be diagnosed with and to live with Parkinson’s — the sense of isolation a person can feel as they face changes to friendships, jobs, and the opportunities to participate in social occasions. It also captures the moments of humour, intimacy, and joy that are experienced despite, and sometimes because of, the challenges of chronic illness.

With honesty, the collection speaks to the complexity of living with an often-misrepresented progressive illness. It celebrates the creativity and resilience of those with Parkinson’s and invites all readers – whether familiar with the condition or not – to listen more closely, and more compassionately.

Additional information: Available from Atuanui Press

Additional information: The Placing Unheard Voices Project