Freud’s Afternoon Session – On being ill

"Considering how common illness is, how tremendous the spiritual change that it brings... it becomes strange indeed that illness has not taken its place with love, battle and jealousy among the prime themes of literature."
"English, which can express the thoughts of Hamlet and the tragedy of Lear, has no words for the shiver and the headache. It has all grown one way."

One hundred years after its first publication, the subtle complexities of Virginia Woolf's 'On Being Ill' continues to resonate for a new generation of readers. The New Menard Press has re-published Woolf's essay alongside a collection of thirteen original pieces which outline new perspectives on illness, disability and care. Join writers Daisy Lafarge, Jude Cook and Ted Monroe alongside chair Lucy Davidson to discuss the drama of the body and mind, and hear readings from On Being Ill: New Edition. In the words of our editor, Elte Rauch, 'I discovered that sympathy and understanding alone did not help me cope; what helped was a sense of regained autonomy through creativity and community.'

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Speakers:

Ted Monroe is a writer and English teacher based in London. Having contracted Long Covid in 2022, he has since turned to writing that blends memoir, humour and literary criticism. He has published in The Fence and The Mortar, and is currently working on his first book, which explores the intersections between illness, literature and art. This is also the subject of his Substack, The Art of Convalescence.

Daisy Lafarge is a writer based in Glasgow. She is the author of the novel Paul (Granta 2021), which won a Betty Trask Award and was a New York Times Editors’ Choice, and the poetry collection Life Without Air (Granta 2020), which was shortlisted for the T.S. Eliot Prize and awarded Scottish Poetry Book of the Year. Lovebug, a book on the poetics of infection, was published in 2023. Her second novel is forthcoming in 2027.

Jude Cook is the author of the novels Byron Easy (2013) and Jacob’s Advice (2020). He reviews fiction for The Guardian, The Spectator, Literary Review, the tls, and his short fiction has appeared in The Moth, Tamarind and The Tangerine. He is an Associate Lecturer in Creative Writing at the University of Westminster. In 2025, he launched a new press, Conduit Books, spotlighting working-class voices and overlooked regional writing, focusing initially on male authors.

Lucy Davidson is an award-winning writer, director and producer across documentary, theatre, film, publishing, radio, video games and podcasts. Her work in publishing includes proofreading and editing historian Alice Loxton's 'Eleanor', dramaturg Paul Sirett's 'Dramaturgy 360', and Rosie Turner's ‘Girlfriend Material’, as well as assisting at The New Menard Press and Conduit Books. She also writes for theatre, film, radio and video games.

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Complement your visit to the Freud Museum with one of our tours or talks led by staff, volunteers and guest speakers.

Afternoon Sessions are free with your admission ticket. Book your admission ticket now!

The event will be held on the first floor of the Museum during regular opening hours. Unfortunately, the Freud Museum does not currently have step-free access. Advance booking is highly recommended, as capacity is limited.

Concessions/Members/Patrons: Please show proof of eligibility/membership card on arrival.