Poetry as medical and community practice: speaking out on the experience of chronic illness in Northern Ireland

Over the past two decades, there has been a significant increase in research examining the effects of the arts on health and well-being, which has highlighted the positive impact of arts-based nterventions on mental and physical health. These initiatives encompass a wide range of activities, from collective fiction reading to listening to music, and poetry reading and writing have gained particular recognition for their therapeutic potential. Hence, this article intends to show that Stephanie Conn’s poetry collection "off-kilter" and her involvement in workshops with individuals suffering from invisible disabilities, particularly chronic pain, attest to the manifold potential of poetry when dealing with experiences of chronic illness. Conn’s work not only provides an outlet for personal expression, but also raises awareness about the lived experiences of the chronically ill and challenges societal perceptions of these conditions. Poetry, particularly lyric poetry, embraces ambiguity and makes room for openness, enabling readers to get a sense of what it is like to inhabit a body afflicted by fibromyalgia or other invisible disabilities. Stephanie Conn’s poetic endeavours thus exemplify the transformative potential of poetry in fostering empathy and mutual recognition in medical encounters and everyday situations.