Field Ramble with Anna Whitwham

Send us Fan MailOn this episode, we speak to Anna Whitwham about Soft Tissue Damage, her startling account of a healing found in controlled violence. Published by Rough Trade Books on 27.03 it charts both the loss of Anna’s mother to cancer and her subsequent choice to battle unresolved anger in the boxing ring. From early sparing sessions to the draining seconds of the final round, Anna writes both with immediacy and unflinching honesty. What emerges is an exploration of the pain we choose, the impossible opponent in grief and the strange self-possession that fighting can offer.It’s a book filled with voices from just the other side of the ropes too. Sparring partners, dance partners, a new partner - a daughter, a coach and a grandfather too. All have a role to play in Soft Tissue Damage. Each, a presence that means in some way Anna never steps into the ring alone.@fieldzine www.fieldzine.comwww.patreon.com/fieldzine