Description:

Experience the raw and unfiltered journey of Imé Corkery as she fearlessly confronts the harsh realities of a rare and agonizing chronic illness in her breathtaking debut collection, Persephone's Pancreas.

In this remarkable memoir of creative nonfiction, Imé takes you on an unforgettable odyssey that traverses the chasm between illness and earthly delights. From Netflix binges to the warmth of oxytocin, and from the intimacy of hospital date nights to the touch of the divine, this is a story that will capture your heart and soul.

Imé Corkery's brave narrative not only explores the trials and tribulations of living with Sphincter of Oddi Dysfunction (SOD), a rare and excruciating chronic illness, but also delves deep into the essence of love, both human and mythological. With unwavering courage, she invites you to stare death in the face while reveling in the joys of the living – a poignant reminder that life’s pleasures are worth cherishing.

As you embark on this medical journey alongside our resilient heroine, you'll witness the escalating trials, the strengthening of drugs, and the profound descent into a world of myth. Persephone's Pancreas is a profound exploration of love, pain, and the intricate dance between the two. 

If you've ever experienced the rawness of human emotions, this poetic masterpiece is a must-read, offering solace and inspiration to all who seek the light in the darkest of times. Imé Corkery's unique voice and unflinching perspective make Persephone's Pancreas a captivating and deeply moving journey that will stay with you long after you've turned the final page.

Endorsements:
”Anyone can slip into the underworld of chronic illness – it takes a rare poet to keep singing from that place. Charting her descent into ‘hospital Hades,’ this Persephone refuses to fall silent, and goes on calling out the medical gods whose mistreatment keeps her ‘entombed in fluorescents.’ Harrowing, sharp-witted, tender, raw and necessary, this is an indelible account from a poet with the sheer nerve to keep testifying, even when ‘pain is at its zenith.’ Persephone’s Pancreas is a collection from a writer who deserves the title heroine.”-Tracey Slaughter

“Corkery is a poet who is generous with her courage and candour, and unblinking in her critique of power and the places it cannot reach. Persephone's Pancreas draws us skin to skin with chronic pain, searching language, sensory detail, myth and the everyday, to find the things needed to survive the liminal and lost zones of a long ‘sick girl summer.”- Aimee-Jane Anderson-O’Connor

“I always love hearing Ime’s words aloud at Ōtepoti Writers Lab. It’s wrong to say it’s a pleasure to read these words because this book contains so much pain. And yet there is also raw, proud beauty to be found in Persephone’s Pancreas.”- Liz Breslin