NHS Worker Turns Children’s Author

Antony Stones an advanced clinical practitioner at Haxby Surgery has written 2 children’s books to help comfort children who have been affected by lock down and missing out on school due to the pandemic. Antony is currently working on a 3rd book.

“I have been writing poetry and spoken word for around three years, and have found this a really effective way of processing and expressing my experience of living with anxiety and depression. A couple of years ago I decided to try writing a rhyming children’s book following a trip to Bempton Cliffs to see the puffins, I was pleased with the finished piece but never did anything with it.”

“The last few months have been incredibly stressful and I felt that I needed a pastime that would enable me to relax and distance myself from the stresses of the day. I decided to have a go at illustrating my puffin story and see if I could produce something worth self-publishing.”

Antony found the process of sitting down sketching out ideas and developing them into the final image to be hugely beneficial for his mental health. It incorporates mindfulness with feelings of achievement which boost self-esteem and self-worth. ‘Puffin Bill’s Extraordinary Week’ has been going down really well on Amazon receiving a number of five star reviews, this encouraged me to write more and he has just released ‘You’ll Never Fly, Little Rabbit!’ a book about achieving your ambitions with hard work and the help of friends. He is currently writing ‘A Hole in Lily Hen’s House’ which touches on themes of homelessness and compassion.

“My spoken word has benefitted others in helping them to understand and express the way that they feel and their own experience of mental health, and, as a result, feel less isolated and stigmatised. I hope that my children’s books can help to encourage children to feel love, empathy and compassion for the world around them, and empower them to express their feelings and emotions.”

Antony’s author page on Amazon can be found at

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Antony-Stones/e/B08CVT3ZP6%3Fref=dbs_a_mng_rwt_scns_share

He can also be found on his Youtube channel featuring spoken word:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJkFpTI9bsmtHQ7k-7hXBew