[
    {
        "role": "user",
        "content": "who%20is%20polly%20atkin%20what%20boooks%20has%20she%20written%5D"
    },
    {
        "role": "assistant",
        "content": "Polly Atkin (born 1980) is an English poet, memoir and non-fiction writer, teacher and bookseller based in Grasmere, Cumbria. Her work often explores living with chronic illness, nature and place. ([en.wikipedia.org](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polly_Atkin?utm_source=openai))\n\n---\n\n### Biography & Background\n\n- She grew up in **Nottingham**, lived in East London for seven years, then moved to the Lake District. ([en.wikipedia.org](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polly_Atkin?utm_source=openai))  \n- Holds a **PhD** (2010, Lancaster University) on \u201cRomantic legacies and the Lake District,\u201d and an MA in Creative Writing from Royal Holloway, University of London. ([en.wikipedia.org](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polly_Atkin?utm_source=openai))  \n- Diagnosed with one of the **Ehlers-Danlos Syndromes** and **genetic haemochromatosis**, and writes extensively on chronic illness, access, disability, nature and rural life. ([pollyatkin.com](https://pollyatkin.com/about/?utm_source=openai))  \n- Recently (2023) took ownership, with her partner, of **Sam Read Bookseller**, a historic independent bookshop in Grasmere. ([en.wikipedia.org](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polly_Atkin?utm_source=openai))  \n\n---\n\n### Major Works by Polly Atkin\n\nHere are some of her most significant books and poetry collections, with focus on non-fiction and full-length poetry:\n\n#### Non-Fiction & Memoirs\n\n| Title | Published | What it\u2019s about / Significance |\n|---|---|---|\n| *Recovering Dorothy: The Hidden Life of Dorothy Wordsworth* | 2021 | A biography of Dorothy Wordsworth, particularly her later life and illness; positions Dorothy within Disability History. ([pollyatkin.com](https://pollyatkin.com/about/?utm_source=openai)) |\n| *Some of Us Just Fall: On Nature and Not Getting Better* | 2023 (UK), 2024 (US) | Memoir interweaving nature, place, chronic illness and the experience of life when \u201cnot getting better.\u201d Won the **2024 Lakeland Book of the Year**. ([en.wikipedia.org](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polly_Atkin?utm_source=openai)) |\n| *The Company of Owls: A Memoir* | 2025 (UK), forthcoming 2026 (US) | Explores owls, nature, and chronic illness; her most recent major non-fiction work. ([milkweed.org](https://milkweed.org/author/polly-atkin?utm_source=openai)) |\n\n#### Poetry\n\n| Title | Year | Key details |\n|---|---|---|\n| *Basic Nest Architecture* | 2017 | Her first full-length poetry collection. Explores illness, place, and transition from London to the Lake District. ([en.wikipedia.org](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polly_Atkin?utm_source=openai)) |\n| *Much With Body* | 2021 | Poems filtered through living with chronic illness; includes reflections on small domestic and natural scenes. Longlisted for the Laurel Prize. ([pollyatkin.com](https://pollyatkin.com/about/?utm_source=openai)) |\n| *Emergency Dream* | Expected 2026 | Her next poetry collection, to be published by Seren. Focuses on similar themes of body, place, and vulnerability. ([candlestickpress.co.uk](https://www.candlestickpress.co.uk/biography/atkin-polly/?utm_source=openai)) |\n\n#### Early Poetry Pamphlets & Other Contributions\n\nSome of her earlier smaller works and contributions include:\n\n- **bone song** (pamphlet, 2008) \u2014 shortlisted for the Michael Marks Pamphlet Award. ([en.wikipedia.org](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polly_Atkin?utm_source=openai))  \n- **Shadow Dispatches** (pamphlet, 2013) \u2014 won the Mslexia Pamphlet Prize and was shortlisted for Lakeland Book of the Year. ([en.wikipedia.org](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polly_Atkin?utm_source=openai))  \n- **With Invisible Rain** (pamphlet) \u2014 draws on Dorothy Wordsworth\u2019s late journals; relates to illness and natural observation. ([iambapoet.com](https://www.iambapoet.com/polly-atkin?utm_source=openai))  \n\n---\n\nIf you'd like summaries of any specific book (poetry or memoir), or want suggestions for which one to start with, I can pull those together next."
    }
]