In this episode, Jacinta and Lachlan chat with author Alicia Elliott. We discuss Alicia's childhood and how her mother's mental health informed her perspectives and her own understanding around mental health and illness. We also chat about mental health and culture, femininity and motherhood, psychosis and mania, and of course, Alicia's new book, And Then She Fell.

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About our guest

Alicia Elliott is a Mohawk writer and editor living in Brantford, Ontario. She has written for The Globe and Mail, CBC, Hazlitt and many others. She’s had numerous essays nominated for National Magazine Awards, winning Gold in 2017 and an honorable mention in 2020. Her short fiction was selected for Best American Short Stories 2018 (by Roxane Gay), Best Canadian Stories 2018 and Journey Prize Stories 30. Alicia was chosen by Tanya Talaga as the 2018 recipient of the RBC Taylor Emerging Writer Award. Her first book, A Mind Spread Out On The Ground, was a national bestseller in Canada. It was also nominated for the Hilary Weston Writers’ Trust Prize for Nonfiction and won the Forest of Reading Evergreen Award. Her latest book is And Then She Fell, the first book published by Atlantic Books Australia. 

Representations & resources

• Alicia's first book A Mind Spread Out On The Ground

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About the podcast

Differently Brained shares the opinions of individuals and does not consider your personal circumstances. Differently Brained exists purely for information purposes and should not be relied on as health or medical advice. Because no brain is the same, please consult your healthcare professional for your personal medical needs.

The Differently Brained team acknowledge the traditional custodians of the lands on which we record, edit and stream this podcast. We pay our respects to all First Nations peoples and their Elders part, present and emerging. We extend that respect to all First Nations cultures and their ongoing connection to the lands, waterways and communities.