All in the Mind
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  • Published: 1 July 2009
  • ISBN: 9780099528029
  • Imprint: Arrow
  • Format: Paperback
  • Pages: 304
  • RRP: $27.99

All in the Mind

Formats & editions
EBook
1 Sep 2010
Audiobook
23 Dec 2010
Paperback
1 Jul 2009
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The powerful first novel from Alastair Campbell

Martin Sturrock desperately needs a psychiatrist. The problem? He is one.

Emily is a traumatised burns victim, Arta a Kosovan refugee recovering from a rape. David Temple is a longterm depressive, while the Rt Hon Ralph Hall MP lives in terror of his drink problem being exposed. Very different Londoners, but they share one thing: every week they spend an hour at the Prince Regent hospital, revealing the secrets of their psyche to Professor Martin Sturrock. Little do they know that Sturrock's own mind is not the reassuring place they believe it to be. For years he has hidden in his work, ignoring his demons. But now his life is falling apart, and as his ghosts come back to haunt him, the only person he can turn to is a patient.

Set over a life-changing weekend, Alastair Campbell's astonishing first novel delves deep into the human mind to create a gripping portrait of the strange dependency between patient and doctor. Both a comedy and tragedy of ordinary lives, it is rich in compassion for those whose days are spent on the edge of the abyss.
  • Published: 1 July 2009
  • ISBN: 9780099528029
  • Imprint: Arrow
  • Format: Paperback
  • Pages: 304
  • RRP: $27.99
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About the author

Alastair Campbell

Alastair Campbell was born in Keighley, Yorkshire in 1957, the son of a vet. Having graduated from Cambridge University in modern languages, he went into journalism, principally with the Mirror Group. When Tony Blair became leader of the Labour Party, Campbell worked for him first as press secretary, then as official spokesman and director of communications and strategy from 1994 to 2003. He continued to act as an advisor to Mr Blair and the Labour Party, including during subsequent election campaigns. He now splits his time between writing, speaking, politics in Britain and overseas, consultancy and charity, as chairman of fundraising for Leukaemia and Lymphoma Research, and a leading ambassador for the mental health campaign Time to Change.

He lives in North London with his partner of thirty-five years, Fiona Millar. They have three children. His interests include running, cycling, bagpipes and Burnley Football Club. He has published six volumes of diaries, including the number one Sunday Times bestseller, The Blair Years, a memoir on depression, The Happy Depressive, and three novels.

portrait photo of Alastair Campbell

Also by Alastair Campbell

But What Can I Do?
Winners
My Name Is...
The Burden of Power
The Happy Depressive: In Pursuit of Personal and Political Happiness
Diaries Volume Three
Diaries Volume Two
See all

Praise for All in the Mind

A sympathetic foray into mental instability ... Campbell's own experience of breakdown brings an intensity to Sturrock's decline

Financial Times

A serious subject adddressed with compassion, intelligence and sensitivity ... this is an emotionally engaging and thought-provoking book

The Times

Extremely absorbing, moving and compassionate portrayal of ordinary human beings exhibiting extraordinary courage in challenging circumstances ... If Campbell writes more novels, I'll certainly read them

The Independent

Campbell has written a highly sensitive novel ... A moving account of people's suffering and search for help

Dr David Sturgeon, University College London Hospital, The Guardian

An extraordinarily open and brave novel about weakness. Or, more accurately, humility ... its power comes from a clearly articulated insight into the darker workings of the human mind and the complex nature of mental health

The Mirror

Riveting ... I'd rate this novel a landslide victory

The Observer

A brilliant debut novel ... a compelling and unforgettable experience

Stephen Fry

I loved this book

Anne Robinson

A moving and compelling story ... authentic and impressive

Nicholas Coleridge
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