The Heartland

"A truly important book. Radically open-hearted and vitally open-minded. I would implore you to read it, and share it, and talk about it." - Max Porter, author Grief is the Thing with Feathers and Lanny

Schizophrenia: whether it's the associations it conjures or the people it brings to mind, it is a word we all have a view on. How we perceive it - and how we treat people living with it - is at the core of how we understand mental health.

But what do we really know? How much time do we spend listening? Do we truly comprehend this complex and often contradictory diagnosis?

In The Heartland, Nathan Filer, mental health nurse and award-winning writer, takes us on a journey into the psychiatric wards he once worked on. He also invites us to spend time with world-leading experts, and with some extraordinary people who share their own stories - true stories - about living with this strange and misunderstood condition.

Along the way, he helps us open our minds to new ways of thinking about mental health, about each other, and about ourselves. The Heartland debunks myths, challenges assumptions and offers fresh insight into what it means to be mad.

And what it means to be human.