Wise Before Their Time

Biographies & Memoirs

synopsis

Synopsis

‘This collection of true stories is as powerful as any great classic of fiction’ Sir Ian McKellen They are young and they have a life-threatening disease… The year is 1991. Diagnoses of HIV are rising and there is no cure in sight. Coming from all corners of the world, over forty young men and women talk about living with HIV and AIDS. They must cope with the enormous stigma, blame and guilt associated with the disease. And there are challenges in telling their parents and partners, trying to stay healthy and keeping themselves in work – all while facing an inevitably shortened future. Yet they remain committed to celebrating the joys of life as much as they can. This book is a testimony to the resilience of the human spirit. First published in 1992, this book tells their unique stories in their own words.

bio

Author Biography

Ann Richardson has been a writer for many years. She is fascinated by other people’s thoughts, experiences and emotions and loves to write books where they can express their views in their own words. She writes on different subjects that capture her interest for one reason or another. This includes a book about people living with AIDS or HIV thirty years ago when there was no cure (Wise Before Their Time, Foreword by Sir Ian McKellen); a book about what it is like to work in end-of-life care (Life in a Hospice, Foreword by Tony Benn); and a book about how it feels to be a grandmother (Celebrating Grandmothers). Her most recent book. The Granny Who Stands on Her Head: Reflections on Growing Older, is a set of short pieces about the joys and challenges of becoming old, with an emphasis on the joys. It is also partly a memoir, including some stories from her life. Ann lives in London, England, with her husband of 58 years. Please visit her website www.annrichardson.co.uk

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Author Insight

Telling bad news

This is a book about what it was like to live with HIV and AIDS back when it was a life threatening disease. It was, of course, very difficult to tell the people you loved, but often made relationships much stronger.

Book Excerpt

Wise Before Their Time

It was difficult to tell my lover I had HIV. I did it on the very first trip that he came to visit, about six weeks after I'd found out. I had presumed that as soon as he knew he would walk out. His reaction, after we had discussed it, was where would I walk to? It was very endearing, made us much closer, there's no question about that.

When I decided that I would tell, everybody was going to be told. I made no list. Because I knew that if I tell one person, that person may just run into another person and so on. If they are truly friends, they're entitled to my well-being and they're also entitled to my bad being or my worst being.

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Ann Richardson

Wise Before Their Time

Synopsis

Author Biography

Author Insight

Telling bad news

This is a book about what it was like to live with HIV and AIDS back when it was a life threatening disease. It was, of course, very difficult to tell the people you loved, but often made relationships much stronger.

Book Excerpt

Wise Before Their Time

Comment on this Bubble