My Pen Is Stilled

My Pen is Stilled

by Gill Hartley, edited posthumously by Juliette Lloyd.

Gill Hartley was a prolific and talented writer, poet, and artist. She was, above all, mother to a handsome, sensitive, intuitive young man named Will.

Gill’s life was thrown violently and irreparably off course in 2006, when her treasured son died of a mystery illness. Like many living in the long shadow of life-changing grief, Gill struggled with her identity, her faith, a crushing sense of hopelessness, and the unhelpful reactions of others. Determined to be a source of support for other bereaved parents, Gill continued to write with fervour, her grief spilling onto the page for hours each day.

My Pen is Stilled, like Gill’s life, is divided into two parts; the sharply observational work of her before days, and the despairing after. Gill’s poetry is interspersed with prose, samples of her artwork, photograph collection, and contributions from those deeply moved by Gill’s altruism.

It is published in loving memory of Gill, Will, and every child gone too soon.