The Shape of Skin: Strange, striking and sensitive poems for people with eczema, psoriasis, topical steroid withdrawal and troubled skin.

Slightly quirky, definitely a bit weird. These poems came from a life of trying to make sense of living with a limiting skin condition. They cover childhood eczema, the pain and discomfort, learning to accept your skin and work out how to heal. You will not be able to put this book down. Buy it today and find new depths of understanding for yourself, your skin, your eczema family member, loved one or friend. It is raw, relatable, funny and heartbreaking.

I take my inspiration from lived experiences, nature, landscapes and the everyday challenges of living with a limiting skin condition.

These are the poems I wish I could have read throughout my life with eczema. I could never find anyone like me, with my skin or my feelings represented as poetry so I wrote my own. It’s been so much fun and also powerful therapy and healing to write and I hope you love them too.

Living with eczema it can feel like you are the only one, but you are not alone! This book well make you feel held, loved, understood. It might make you cry and it will give you a new appreciation for how hard living with eczema can be.

Just some of the amazing feedback from readers includes:

Amazing feedback… Here are just a few comments from happy readers:

“ Poems to make you empathise, laugh and cry. Fabulous book. ” Emma

“ Relatable, honest and raw . ” This is truly a project of love and you will have emotions reading it .” Amy

“These are bloody amazing – pun intended…” Sean Dillnutt

Nothing has ever hit so hard. “ This book was so overwhelming because it was as if someone finally understood how I felt, and it also meant I was not alone in these feelings. Thank you for sharing this with the world and thank you for being so honest x ” Shona

The hell that is itch “It is almost impossible to imagine, if you have not experienced it, the overpowering and compulsive need to scratch if you suffer from bad eczema. Nor the frightening mix of pain and pleasure that pursuing an itch down to the bone will give, even though you know how much you will suffer afterwards for doing so. Ruth’s poems convey this better than any description that I have ever read. But they also reveal her increasingly tender relationship with her tormented skin as she goes through the searing process of Topical Steroid Withdrawal.
A must read for anyone with an inflammatory, itching skin condition – and for those of us who don’t. Not only so that we realise how lucky we are that our skin is benign and peaceful but so that we understand, when we see someone with a raw, painful looking face or hand surreptitiously scratching, just a little of the compulsion that drives them.” Amazon customer

“It is fantastic. I opened it intending to read just a smattering and was two thirds of the way through before I put it down. Why is what you say so much more powerful in poetry than it is in prose?! Michelle Berriedale-Johnson, Free From Food Awards

“I’ve bought your book Ruth and I completely agree it’s Fab! My friend who suffers from eczema is really looking forward to reading it. I got it for her birthday.” Rachael (Book Club)

Your new poems are fascinating . I can’t wait to read some more. Buy the book everyone, it’s great! Sara (Book Club)

Thank you, I’m really enjoying it the poems are so well written and I truly resonate with them , it’s something I will keep forever adulting with eczema

I’ve read a few and I love them!! So relatable! ! Thank you for sharing your poems! It’s so refreshing reading them and going yes I completely understand and it’s what I am going through! Xxx elle_eczema

Buy it today to find out why all these people love this book so much. You won't regret it! The best and only poetry book for people with eczema!