Episode 108: Special Guest, Nathan Dunne (Author, Journalist and Critic)

On this month's 21andsensory Podcast* I have Nathan Dunne as my special guest. Nathan was born in Brisbane, Australia and grew up in India. After graduating from the University of Sydney with the University Medal, he studied art history at Cambridge University and received a PhD from Birkbeck College, University of London. He has lectured at Harvard and Yale, and also worked for several years at Tate Modern. As a journalist and critic, he has contributed to many publications, including The Washington Post, The Atlantic, The Boston Globe, The Guardian, Slate and Artforum. Nathan is the author of 'When Nothing Feels Real', a memoir about depersonalisation which was published in June 2025. We have a really interesting chat about DPDR (depersonalisation and derealisation) and the onset for Nathan and how he has experienced it and Nathan and how he has experienced it and was diagnosed. We also discuss my own experiences and diagnosis of DPDR and how it affects me, then mention the great work that Unreal Charity do!*trigger warning for content covering self harm and mental health strugglesNathans links:Nathan’s website and book: ‘When Nothing Feels Real’ (https://www.nathandunne.com/)Nathan’s Guardian Article: 'I was enjoying a midnight swim. Then my girlfriend kissed me – and the nightmare began' (https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2025/jun/08/i-was-enjoying-a-midnight-swim-then-my-girlfriend-kissed-me-and-the-nightmare-began)Nathan's Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/nathanadunne/)Mentioned:Unreal Charity (UK based) (https://www.unrealcharity.com/)What is DPDR? (https://www.unrealcharity.com/what-is-dpdr)Eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing (EMDR) information: https://emdrassociation.org.uk/Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS) information https://www.unrealcharity.com/treatment-care)Maudsley Clinic Information (UK based) NHS South London and Maudsley (https://slam.nhs.uk/dissociative-disorders)Unreal charity blog (https://www.unrealcharity.com/blog)Joe’s Wilkins video of a clinic walkthrough: The Maudsley Depersonalisation Disorder Service: Q&A With Dr Claudia Hallett (https://youtu.be/5xvC-o5tnpM?si=sJ3Wo2S3L1Oe0Z2G)Emily’s links:Emily’s blog link to her experiences of DPDR, including her illustration: https://www.unrealcharity.com/blog/emilys-story-coming-to-terms-with-dpdr-ezjgz-cxwb2-lrp2x-4j56w-5ezjj)⁠Illustration Portfolio⁠ | ⁠Instagram⁠ | ⁠Podcast⁠ | ⁠YouTube⁠ | ⁠Blog⁠ | ⁠TikTok⁠ | ⁠X⁠ | ⁠⁠Bluesky⁠ | ⁠Patreon⁠