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Connecting With Fellow Stroke Survivors
Emerging From the Dark is a collection of inspirational stories and interviews from stroke survivors and their caregivers, including your own journey and moving illustrations. Why was this such an important book for you to write?
When I was writing my first book, A Cry in the Dark, it was coming from a place of anger and needing to express what I was going through. I never thought I would continue writing, but the warm reception the book received brought many new people into my life. I found myself connecting with fellow stroke survivors and caregivers in the community – each with their unique stories, struggles, and triumphs. Their stories resonated with me and fuelled my motivation to continue writing. It was no longer just a continuation of my own story, I wanted to pay tribute to the strength and determination of those who have also faced the challenges of stroke.
I appreciated the candid nature with which you told your story. What was the hardest thing for you to write about?
While many might assume that writing these stories would be the most challenging part, the true test of my determination was in crafting the illustrations with my hand affected by the stroke. Initially, I thought about getting a professional illustrator to make the pages look beautiful. I wanted the book to be really attractive to readers, with carefully handwritten words and captivating artwork. But then I went back to what my doctor said, as well as how my hand drawn illustrations made the first book special, and decided to take on the challenge again. Making those illustrations turned into a daily test of my patience, but when it was all done, I felt really accomplished by what I had achieved.
Can you tell us a little about the unique illustrations featured throughout your book?
These illustrations are like snapshots of my emotions and represent how I feel on different days. They’re messy and sometimes don’t make a lot of sense, but I don’t think they’re unique to me alone. Everyone goes through similar emotions in their lives. Whether it’s happiness, sadness, uncertainty or strength, we all experience these at different times. I suspect that readers also found something special in the imperfections, in seeing words and pictures that were the honest product of someone on the path to recovery after stroke. It was definitely a very personal experience for me to portray my thoughts that way.
What is the next book you are working on, and when will it be available?
I’m currently in the process of finishing my next book, Strength in Motion: Dancing through Stroke Recovery and hope to release it at the end of the year. This book incorporates expert insights with my ongoing journey, and it’s about the essential role that exercise plays in stroke rehabilitation. Through the many lessons I’ve learnt, I hope to empower stroke survivors to become proactive participants on their own recovery journeys, as well as initiate conversations on how we can better support those affected by stroke.
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Emerging From the Dark: Stroke…The Untold Stories is an unusual book on several counts. Its format is full of artistic creation vastly different from a typical book. Splashed on practically every page are unique, diverse illustrations from the author, and the typeface of text varies a number of times, sometimes simply etched out in pen by the author.
While some pages have complete narratives, others provide isolated thoughts and “free form” ideas to advance the impact. The subjects are not professional authors, so their comments might appear raw but indeed very real. Even Ang himself sprinkles thoughts and emotions generously throughout the interviews, helping to frame the situations and their accompanying confusion.
It’s hard to imagine what the subjects have gone through. Ang’s work truly brings out their fears and frustrations. But it also conveys a sense of purpose to recalibrate lives, be productive, fit in and find inner peace.
So many people remain in the dark about this all-too-common medical condition. Ang hopes his work can serve as a powerful tool for emotional recovery and inspiration for readers as well as the book’s fellow contributors. “Through this book,” says Ang, “we hope to make a difference — so people can see that no one needs to be alone in their struggles to navigate everyday life after experiencing a stroke. Strokes impact countless lives, taking cherished ones from us. My mission is to stress readiness for life’s challenges and the resilience to surmount them. This book embodies that message, hoping to reach everyone with its key lesson.”
Emerging from the Dark, has garnered a plethora of esteemed awards, including the illustrious Firebird Book Award for 2023, a top honor in the Non-Fiction category at the Hollywood Book Festival, and a coveted prize in the Short Stories category of the Global Book Awards. In addition to these accolades, the work has been named as a finalist for an array of distinguished recognitions, such as the Book of the Year Awards in the True Story category, the Global Book Awards for Non-Fiction, the Paris Book Festival in the Biography/Autobiography section, and the transformational memoirs category at the BookFest Book Awards.
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