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BRAIN ON FIRE
CAHALAN, SUSANNAH
Skylight Books – Hotlist Fall 2012
One day, Susannah Cahalan woke up in a strange hospital room, strapped to her bed, under guard, and unable
to move or speak. Her medical records—from a month-long hospital stay of which she had no memory—showed
psychosis, violence, and dangerous instability. Yet, only weeks earlier she had been a healthy, ambitious twentyfour
year old, six months into her first serious relationship and a sparkling career as a cub reporter. Susannah’s
astonishing memoir chronicles the swift path of her illness and the lucky, last-minute intervention led by one of
the few doctors capable of saving her life. As weeks ticked by and Susannah moved from violence to catatonia,
$1 million worth of blood tests and brain scans revealed nothing. The exhausted doctors were ready to commit
her to the psychiatric ward, until Dr. Souhel Najjar joined her team. He asked Susannah to draw one simple
sketch, which became key to diagnosing her with a newly discovered autoimmune disease in which her body
was attacking her brain, an illness now thought to be the cause of “demonic possessions” throughout history.
HEALTH 1ST PRINTING 75,000
FREE PRESS 288 PAGES
9781451621372
$28.99 HC
NOVEMBER 2012
BRAZIL
PALIN, MICHAEL
Brazil is one of the four new global super powers with its vast natural resources and burgeoning industries. Half
a continent in size and a potent mix of races, religions and cultures, of unexplored wildernesses and bustling
modern cities, it is also one of the few countries Michael Palin has never fully travelled. In a new series for BBC1
- his first for five years - he explores in his inimitable way this vast and disparate nation.
TRAVEL 1ST PRINTING 85,000
WEIDENFELD & NICHOLSON 320 PAGES
9780297866268
$32.99 HC
OCTOBER 2012
BREAST STORIES
CARPENTER, PHIL
“My name is Phil Carpenter, Montreal photojournalist and video journalist, and this is what the project is all
about. BREAST STORIES is a book project to document 60-100 women across Canada, who have had
mastectomy. The purpose of the project is to explore the cultural meaning of a woman’s breasts, “the only organ
that is both sexual and maternal.” By seeing photographs of these women, beautiful and confident with missing
breasts or surgically recreated ones, I hope it will challenge us to continue to examine how we regard women in
our culture and how we define femininity. Through the first person stories written by the women in this book, we
will get a sense of the varied effect that such an experience has on women. My hope is that it will prompt
conversation, debate, reflection and awareness. Also, my hope is that this collection of images will help to ease
the fear of, or unease with this reality of life. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of the book will be for
psychological oncology, at breast cancer clinics in Canadian hospitals.”
CANCER/PHOTOGRAPHY
FITZHENRY & WHITESIDE
9781554552726
$24.95 TP Original
AUGUST 2012
Ph: 204-339-2093 Fax: 204-339-2094 Email: wendy@skylightbooks.ca 205