In December 2020, Juliet Robertson received an unexpected and devastating diagnosis of Acute Myeloid Leukaemia (AML), an aggressive blood cancer. Her first round of chemotherapy began promptly on New Year's Day 2021. Remarkably, Juliet has long outlived her original prognosis of a few months, but despite periods of remission, she is now receiving supportive care for her terminal prognosis.
Courageously navigating chemotherapy and hospital visits, Juliet discovered an unexpected source of strength: poetry.
Dipping in and out of poetry anthologies given to her by friends inspired her to compose her own poetry as a way to make sense of her illness, treatment and prognosis. “It provided the cognitive stimulation I needed and a cathartic release for processing my thoughts and feelings about having cancer,” reflects Juliet. She discovered that through sharing her poems she was empowered to have necessary, but not easy, conversations with family and friends.
Juliet’s debut poetry collection, Blood Lines: Living and dying with cancer – a lyrical journey is a poignant, heartwarming and vulnerable exploration of her journey through the various stages of living with AML. Juliet’s resilience and positivity are evident throughout, providing a shining example of how to live with adversity.
A mix of heartache and hope, this collection is filled with an array of different poetic forms that balance humour with honesty. Juliet intertwines notes, poems and striking imagery to craft a deeply layered narrative.
This book boldly confronts taboo subjects, delving into the medical intricacies of illness and the concept of death with unflinching courage. It opens up difficult conversations on living with cancer, which will resonate with and, hopefully be of comfort to those who have personally received a diagnosis, as well as their family and friends.
Juliet will be donating a percentage of her royalties to 'UK Cancer Charities'.
Prior to her diagnosis, Juliet Robertson was an education consultant specialising in outdoor learning and play and the author of two popular books, Dirty Teaching and Messy Maths. She has been an Independent Thinking Associate since 2011, delivering inspiring training days and workshops on outdoor learning in schools across the UK. In 2024 she was awarded an honorary Doctorate in Education from Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh in recognition of her pioneering work and significant contribution to education.
She has written updates on her health journey which can be read here: https://www.caringbridge.org
She expands upon her poetry here: https://julietrobertson.substack.com/
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