HiD Book Club 2-4pm

Come along to Waterstones for our monthly book club! Join us for coffee and chatter, focussing on books written by disabled and neurodivergent authors. Visit the relaxed cafe in this beautiful two-story bookshop, relaxed and inspiring environment for those with a passion for reading and enthusiasm for sharing thoughts.

Anyone is welcome and it’s free to pop along, the bookshop is welcoming, central and accessible with a lift to the cafe. If you have registered as a member you get a complimentary beverage and cake!

However, if you prefer to contact us beforehand and arrange someone to meet you please email: info@hiddendisabilities.co.uk

Order your books direct through the Waterstones using reference ‘HiD Book Club’ to receive a fabulous 50% discount. Either pop in, order online or telephone them direct on 01482 580234. If you prefer a audio book just let them know. See you there!

This month the book is 'Fingers in the Sparkle Jar' by Chris Peckham. Review by Lizzie@littlehux:

“A love of nature mixed with a life of autism and mental health; astounding”

I am in awe.   Chris Packham's memoir Fingers in the Sparkle Jar is a brutal, beautiful book that subverts the memoir genre through third person accounts of events involving him. The timeline flicks around, with the Summer of 1975, the Summer of his kestrel, playing a centralised role. Alongside that are his end-of-chapter discussions with his therapist in September 2003, shortly after almost committing suicide, where he discusses his issues with people - and why he loves animals more than other humans - and his own struggles to navigate a world not built for him.   It's utterly stunning.  While reading I saw so much of my childhood in his own, then realised he too is autistic. So much of what happened to him mirrors my own life, making this a book very close to my heart.