Candy Gourlay’s R E A D I N G R E S O U R C E S

IS THE

CALM F O R R E A L

?

IN SHINE, ROSA SUFFERS FROM A CONDITION CALLED ‘THE CALM’ AND MUST HIDE AWAY IN A TOWER BECAUSE IN MIRASOL, PEOPLE LIKE HER ARE CONSIDERED MONSTERS.

“”

THIS IS NOT A GHOST STORY, THOUGH THERE ARE PLENTY OF GHOSTS IN IT. AND IT’S NOT A HORROR STORY, THOUGH SOME PEOPLE WILL BE HORRIFIED. IT’S NOT A MONSTER STORY EITHER, THOUGH THERE IS A MONSTER IN IT AND THAT MONSTER HAPPENS TO BE ME.

W H A T D O

YOU THINK

? YES   NO  I S T H E C A L M F O R R E A L ?

DO  YOU  KNOW  ANYBODY  WITH  A  DISEASE  LIKE  THE  CALM?  

HAVE  YOU  HEARD  OF  PEOPLE  LIKE  ROSA  WHO  LIVE  ISOLATED  LIVES  BECAUSE  THEY  SUFFER  FROM  A  

MEDICAL  CONDITION?  DO  YOU  KNOW  OF  MEDICAL  CONDITIONS  

THAT  FRIGHTEN  PEOPLE?  

SOME  QUEST IONS  TO  HELP  YOU  MAKE  UP  YOUR  MIND  

NO  

I F Y O U A N S W E R E D

Y O U A R E R I G H T . T H E C A L M I S A

F I C T I O N A L D I S E A S E .

YES  

I F Y O U A N S W E R E D

T H E C A L M I S F I C T I O N A L B U T Y O U A R E

C O R R E C T T O R E C O G N I S E T H A T

I T I S B A S E D O N R E A L I T Y .

IN THE MIDDLE AGES,

LEPROSY INSPIRED LOATHING

INSTEAD OF SYMPATHY. LEPERS

WERE ISOLATED, FORCED TO CARRY

CLAPPERS OR BELLS TO WARN

PEOPLE THAT THEY WERE

APPROACHING. IN ENGLAND,

ANYONE WHO HARBOURED A LEPER

WAS IMPRISONED AND LEPERS

WERE PREVENTED FROM ENTERING

THE GATES OF LONDON.

TODAY, MANY PEOPLE WHO

SUFFER FROM MEDICAL CONDITIONS

STILL EXPERIENCE STIGMA.

CAN YOU THINK OF SOME EXAMPLES?

WHY DO YOU THINK STIGMA

HAPPENS?

H E R E A R E S O M E C A M P A I G N S D E A L I N G W I T H

STIGMA

SKIN COLOUR, DISABILITY, AGE, RELIGION, MENTAL ILLNESS … MANY SECTORS OF SOCIETY CAN FIND THEMSELVES JUDGED FOR THEIR ‘OTHERNESS’. THIS THEME SEEMS TO SURFACE IN ALL MY STORIES. I GUESS IT MUST BE BECAUSE OF MY OWN EXPERIENCE OF BEING A FOREIGNER BUILDING A LIFE IN A COUNTRY NOT MY OWN.

CANDY  GOURLAY  AUTHOR  OF  SHINE  

F A N C Y A L I T T L E P R O J E C T ?

PLAN  A  CAMPAIGN  TO  END  THE  STIGMA  OF  THE  CALM  IN  MIRASOL,  USING  VIDEO,    SOCIAL  MEDIA,  POSTERS  OR  RADIO.  HOW  CAN  YOU  BEST  PERSUADE  THE  PEOPLE    OF  MIRASOL  THAT  THEY    HAVE  NOTHING  TO  FEAR    FROM  THE  CALM?  

I ’ D L O V E T O H E A R A B O U T A N Y P R O J E C T S T H A T R E S U L T F R O M T H I S

R E A D I N G R E S O U R C E . D O G E T I N T O U C H V I A T H E C O N T A C T F O R M O N W W W . C A N D Y G O U R L A Y. C O M

T H A N K Y O U F O R R E A D I N G !

Candy Gourlay

©  Candy  Gourlay,  2016