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Fern Brady - and What's your favourite autobiography by an Autistic Person?

Dawn

So, my latest Autistic obsession seems to be reading the autobiographies of other Autistic people.  Anyone else noticed that there has been an explosion of these since the beginning of the pandemic?  It was the pandemic that forced a crescendo in the problems that lead me to a very late diagnosis too.  Clearly, a lot of us have been busy spending lock down on a voyage of discovery and then writing about it.  It's heartening to see so many women are coming to the fore.

To whit, I've just been reading Fern's article in the Your Autism mag...oh there we go again male Dr misdiagnoses woman with BPD ...don't get me started!  Seriously though, I'm really looking forward to her book due out in Feb 23 - got my pre-order in and was just feeling the need to give it a plug here.

Meanwhile, I am noticing how many more biographers are not just narrating their personal journey but really taking on the political dimensions of autistic identity.  I'd also recommend Clem Bastow's Late Bloomer and Jane McNiece's The Umbrella Picker.

What's your favourite?  Anyone else got any recommendations for me I may have missed in my trawls on amazon?

  • in reply to JT

    Thank you.  Added to my list :-)

  • I thoroughly recommend this, it made me feel closer to the glow attached to positive traits associated with ASC

    www.amazon.co.uk/.../0544705343

  • in reply to The Umbrella Picker

    Bless you. Yours was much appreciated too. You were honest and that matters. We need all our voices out there. Together we will make a difference. :-)

  • I feel humbled that my book has received a mention here. Thank you Fern Brady, you don't know how much this means to me :)

  • in reply to Dawn

    You are very welcome. The book is great.

  • in reply to Ausomely Autistic

    Just added Neuroqueer Heresies to my reading list.  Thank you.

  • in reply to Dawn

    I re read it a lot really great. 

  • in reply to Ausomely Autistic

    Definitely do it's a fabulous read :) 

  • in reply to Luna

    I have put the book Late Bloomer on my ‘to read list.’

  • in reply to Luna

    Yes, one of the best I've read

  • in reply to Roy

    Sara did interviews? K. That's got me occupied tonight. Thanks

  • There didn't seem to be too many books even just 5 years ago, about females. The first one I got was Rudy Simone.  I got about 3/4 through until there was a chapter about autism and diet. And from what I remember she was sort of implying you can cure autism with diet. Or something ridiculous. I shut the book and never picked it up again. And she kept using "we" instead of "I" like her experiences represented the collective autism experience. Not recommended!

    I've got Cynthia Kim, Sarah Hendrickx and Liane Halliday-Wiley. They are all really good.

  • I've read and own Late Bloomer How An autism diagnosis changed my life by Clem Bastow. Really interesting to read and a lot of it I could relate to. Highly recommend Dawn. X

  • in reply to Ausomely Autistic

    Oh thanks. Drama Queen I have read and the lovely Chris' book is on my shelf and next in line. I'll now be hunting the other two and following your link

  • in reply to Martin

    Lol, yeah  it probably does

  • I first found Fern on a series of podcasts by Sara Gibbs. Sara  was late diagnosed and has interviewed about 10 people on her series of podcasts called Aut-hour. Fern is on instagram and uses the name, Fern from Bathgate. Most of the people Sara interviews are late diagnosed women, it’s so interesting how different everyone is. I’ve read Sara’s book, it’s called Drama Queen. I actually listened to it as an audiobook and Sara reads it. I thoroughly recommend it. One of the other women that Sara interviews is Laura James, her book is called, Odd girl out. Her book is brilliant. I’m in the middle of Elle Mcnicolls second book at the moment, she is also interviewed by Sara. All the interviews are very informal and more like an hour of chatting between friends with similar minds. All are autistic authors. I loved Lara’s book, living with a non autistic partner is sometimes very supportive, but can be very hard as well. Enjoy.

  • Thanks for starting a great conversation. Thanks for the other recommendations, I shall start researching.

    My favourite autistic autobiographies/memoirs are:

    • Fingers in the Sparkle Jar by Chris Packham 
    • Stim: An Autistic Anthology 
    • Drama Queen by Sara Gibbs 
    • Explaining Humans by Camilla Pang 

     ‘ Clearly, a lot of us have been busy spending lock down on a voyage of discovery and then writing about it.  It's heartening to see so many women are coming to the fore.’

    Yes I agree. Lockdown was an opportunity to reflect on everything including our own autistic/neurodivergent identities that we had never experienced before.

    ‘Meanwhile, I am noticing how many more biographers are not just narrating their personal journey but really taking on the political dimensions of autistic identity.’

    This is great, maybe it is because knowledge of the neurodiversity movement is slowly becoming more mainstream. Also to coincide with that, there definitely seems to be greater understanding that our autistic community is a marginalised group like other minority communities.

    There  is another discussion that I started which lists some more autistic autobiographies you may like:

    https://community.autism.org.uk/f/adults-on-the-autistic-spectrum/27896/brilliant-autistic-book-neuroqueer-heresies-by-autistic-academic-nick-walker

    I hope you enjoy your next read. There are some many great autistic autobiographies to hyper focus on!

  • I must admit to never having read one, unless Charles Darwin's 'autobiographical sketch' counts?