Isobel Knight

Isobel Knight- b1974- originally comes from Oxford and is an established international author, having now published five books, 'The body Nobody believed being her sixth. Knight began her publishing career with a poetry book called 'The Skin Collection' published in 2009. It is full of dark poetry, much of it on the theme of self-harm and depression. Knight is very passionate about promoting awareness of mental health. Although initially having a BA Hons Ed, a primary teaching degree, Knight never went into teaching, but instead pursued a career initially in arts administration and volunteer management, before she then trained as a complementary health practitioner, and learned Bowen Technique; an Australian soft-tissue therapy. Knight had a successful private practice spanning 15 years. Between 2008-9, Knight did an MSc in Dance Science at Trinity Laban and later worked there as a member of staff and a practising Bowen Practitioner. Knight's interest in hypermobility began during her MSc year, firstly in relation to dancers and then to herself. She then began to understand the conditions then known as Hypermobility Syndrome and Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (type III) - Hypermobility type, this is because so many dancers are very flexible, which is what hypermobile means, but there is so much more to the condition that can be desirable if the person is asymptomatic, and can then span to be a somewhat devastating condition in some patients. Knight noticed that there were few published books on the topic, and her first edition book was accepted straight away by the international Publishing House 'Singing Dragon Press'. 'A Guide to Living with Hypermobility Syndrome' (2011) was turned into a 2nd Edition in 2015, only three years after the first edition, due to its popularity and because of updates to medical terminology. In the meantime, Knight also published another book on the topic of Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, which was intended more for medical professionals than patients, and this came out in 2013. After this, Knight was asked to write a book about The Bowen Technique, which, in the end, she chose to co-author with John Wilks and in 2014, 'Using the Bowen Technique' came out. Following her recent literary successes, Knight did not remain idle, but was instead asked to concentrate on writing academic journal articles as Knight continues to work indirectly towards a PhD in Published Works in the Public Domain. Her full list of articles can be seen on her website www.isobelknight.com and Knight is also on www.academia.eu. The book 'The Body Nobody Believed' was conceived after Knight had endured years of disbelief as to her many health symptoms from the medical profession. Although Knight had tried to turn such negatives into more positive self-help type books, she wanted to tell her story completely 'raw', and so she turned to the academic model of 'Narrative Medicine' - storytelling in medicine- and wanted to tell her story much more directly without numerous academic quotes, although she gives an initial academic explanation for this type of work, and there are related quotes throughout the book, but this book is a non-fiction story/memoir and starts in a way that shocked even Knight herself which she described as a 'deliberate shock tactic'. The book is divided into bodily systems as chapters, and then all that Knight has experienced is gone through in detail, at times deeply graphical, even shocking and at times even disturbing (self-harm). Throughout the book, we see Knight at all ages, from a young child to the present day, and we can only intimate that the story is far from over. Knight's tenacity and courage are apparent throughout, as are her constant, often 'battles' with the medical profession, who don't always believe what is going on and how she has to fight for the real truth. Conversely, there are times when she is believed and the relief that she experiences. Having read many of the doctors’ and nurses’ accounts of the NHS, Knight decided to write her own account. However, she has achieved far more than the experience in hospital but provides great details of her many chronic medical conditions and the fight that she has had to be believed and to get the help she so badly needed. This book couldn't come at a better time when the NHS is stretched to the very limits and with the massive changes our country faces in the face of Post-Brexit. Knight tells the story of her body and all that she has endured. She aims her book at the general population at large, and she expects many with health problems will find it particularly resonates. Knight also hopes that the book reaches all medical professionals, from Healthcare Assistants to physiotherapists, psychotherapists, doctors, nurses, surgeons and even MPs. Isobel Knight lives in North London and is presently unable to work. This book has taken her five years to write, with numerous periods of inactivity due to being too fatigued or in too much pain to manage to write at home. Knight loved to dance, but ballet is an activity she can no longer participate in, although she enjoys watching any form of dance. Knight also played the recorder and piano and used to sing, before she had vocal problems. She 'adores' classical music and finds much therapy in listening to music and relaxing with her cat. Knight has additional interests in Spiritualism and the arts in general. Knight has a close network of family and friends, but her illnesses often limit as much socialisation as she would like. It is her mission that if she can no longer physically work that she has the opportunity through the written word to tell the story of her struggles and triumphs. 'The Body Nobody Believed' is her most recent publication (December, 2022). Isobel is now working on another book with a working title of 'The Patient's Experience' and has been commissioned to write a Third Edition of 'A Guide to Living with hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome & Hypermobility Spectrum Disorder' Bending without Breaking' and A Handbook to Managing hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome and Hypermobility Spectrum Disorder' – Both with Singing Dragon Press. These books will come out in c2025.