poeMS: an anthology by people living with multiple sclerosis

poeMS: an anthology provides unique insights into the experiences of people living with multiple sclerosis (MS). The anthology derives from the Poetry and Multiple Sclerosis study, a doctoral project undertaken by Georgi Gill in the Centre for Creative-Relational Inquiry at the University of Edinburgh. In the study, nine participants, all of whom have MS, attended online poetry workshops with Georgi who also has MS. We read, discussed and wrote poems together exploring different aspects of their lives with the condition. 

MS can be very difficult to describe to others; some of its symptoms are invisible (fatigue; cognitive disfunction; sensations of numbness, pain or tingling), while motor symptoms and the mobility aids that they may necessitate can be misunderstood, leading to negative social outcomes and discrimination. The workshops and the resulting poems gave us opportunities to be heard and understood and, importantly, to build creative communities together. Readers living with MS may benefit from this sense of shared similarity and community in poeMS: an anthology. 

The poems reveal participants’ reflections of their embodied experiences of MS; interactions with doctors; how MS affects their social and family connections; and the ways in which their sense of self has been impacted by, and continues to adapt in response to, MS.  poeMS: an anthology presents these insights together in conversation with one another. As such it is a valuable tool for doctors and carers treating and supporting people with MS, and also for friends, family and the wider public.