Welcome to autumn 2024 Hopezine
Editor’s letter In the pages of Hopezine,A magazine like no other seen,Written and illustrated with A.I.Recovery stories for tears of joy. Guided by those with schizophrenia,Their voices clear, their stories richer,With Paul by their side, a beacon of light,Ensuring accessibility is always in sight. Erica’s editor’s letter shines bright,An autumn issue that feels just right,Uplifting […]
Recovery from Schizophrenia: A Journey of Hope and Resilience
By Alan Hartley In the quiet corridors of the mind, where shadows dance and whispers linger, there exists a path—a winding, treacherous path toward recovery. Schizophrenia, that enigmatic specter, casts its veil upon the soul, distorting reality, fracturing identity. Yet, dear reader, let us not dwell solely on the abyss; for within the labyrinth of […]
A Blossom’s Journey
By Alan Hartley In the quiet of her room, Ella traced her fingers along the windowsill, where sunlight tiptoed. She was a wisp of a girl, her reflection a fragile echo. Anorexia had whispered promises—control, beauty, escape—until it became her shadow. But life, like a stubborn daisy, insisted on blooming. Ella’s mother, a beacon of […]
A Song of Dawn
By Alan Hartley In shadows deep, where sorrows weep, A soul adrift, its secrets keep, The night’s embrace, a heavy shroud, Yet hope persists, a fragile cloud. The moon, a witness, whispers low, “Life’s tapestry, a vibrant flow, Each thread, a chance, a fleeting dance, To seize the day, to take a chance.” For suicide, […]
Gardening: A Healing Path
By Alan Hartley In the quiet of soil, where roots entwine, A sanctuary blooms—a refuge for the mind. Gardening, a balm, a gentle embrace, For those who battle storms within their space. 1. Seeds of Hope In rows and furrows, seeds nestle deep, Their promise hidden, secrets they keep. For the mentally weary, these tiny […]
Farmer Gracy
By Erica Crompton In the land of tulips and windmillsWhere Farmer Gracy’s roots extendA sanctuary for plants and bloomsWith love and care, they tend Each bare root a promise of lifeReady to blossom and growIn Farmer Gracy’s hands they thriveA beauty only nature could bestow Today we walk through the warehouseFilled with colors and scents […]
A day in Clitheroe
By Erica Crompton In Clitheroe, where history meets the day,Paul and Erica set out, in their own special way.With wheels that glide on paths so clear,They explored the town, with nothing to fear. The castle stood proud, on the hill so high,With accessible paths that reached the sky.They wandered through tales of knights and lore,In […]
Hopezine the book out now
Hopezine is a small, printed independent magazine and blog and now book – right here! – by me, Erica Crompton, a journalist with schizoaffective who survived a suicide attempt. Launched in November 2018 at an NHS suicide prevention conference at the Bet365 stadium, Hopezine aims to share stories from people who have survived adversity in […]
Hopezine’s Editor’s new art book
Can art change how we think about this thing called ‘schizophrenia’? Are all artists ‘mad’? Are people with schizophrenia more creative than those without? A freelance journalist with a history of paranoid schizophrenia aims to address these questions and more in ‘A look at schizophrenia in art’. With a master’s degree in creative writing, and […]
“The Nook”
By Erica Crompton We knew as soon as we heard Ms Swain had booked in for a house viewing that destiny was at play. My lovely home and safe space, a wee white cottage in a leafy street was up for sale and if I’d had any doubts about selling-up and moving somewhere more accessible […]