“You can still achieve”: author living with dementia publishes debut novel

Within a week, he had lost his driving licence and insurance. Later, when he spoke about wanting to write a novel, he was warned it would be too difficult for someone living with dementia.

Now, Michael is a published author and dementia advocate. Recently featured on BBC Look North, Michael hopes his story encourages people to look beyond a diagnosis and recognise that creativity, purpose and contribution do not disappear after dementia.

His debut novel, Forget Me Not: The Letter in the Headboard, is the first in the Forget Me Not Mysteries series. Set in a quiet coastal town, the novel follows Moira Briggs, a former Sergeant Major living with young-onset dementia, who discovers her nephew’s body in her old home – triggering a mystery shaped by fragmented memories, buried secrets and questions about truth and identity.

Working alongside Detective Constable Callum Reed, a neurodivergent detective who notices patterns others miss, Moira becomes central to uncovering a conspiracy stretching far beyond the town itself. Blending psychological mystery with emotional realism, the novel explores memory, trauma, neurodiversity and the quiet heroism of care.

Speaking to BBC Look North, Michael described some of the challenges he faced while writing the novel.

“There were days where I couldn’t walk. I forgot how to walk,” he said. “There were days when I really struggled. I had papers all over the room, notes on my laptop. I almost gave up a couple of times thinking, ‘You know what? They’re right. I can’t do this.’ But I succeeded.”

After two years of planning and writing, the novel has now been published.

Alongside his fiction writing, Michael also authored Dementia, You Are Not Alone!, a non-fiction guide offering reassurance and insight for people affected by dementia.

Michael hopes that this success can help inspire other people living with dementia.

“Just because we’re diagnosed doesn’t mean you have to stifle our creativity,” he said. “With the correct support, there are things you can achieve.”

Michael is also involved in developing the Live More with Shared Lives programme in Hartlepool, helping shape dementia support focused on supporting people to continue living well after diagnosis. As part of the project, Michael plans to receive support through Shared Lives himself.

The Hartlepool project will combine Shared Lives support with simple technology designed to help people stay connected, maintain independence and continue living well at home.

Live More began in Greater Manchester, where Shared Lives schemes have been supporting people living with dementia earlier through flexible, relationship-based support built around people’s interests and routines, while also giving family carers regular time and space to recharge.

Shared Lives Plus is now exploring how Live More could develop in other areas, including Liverpool and Stoke-on-Trent.

Find out more about Michael’s book: Forget Me Not Headboard Mysteries

Find out more about Live More: Live More: growing Shared Lives for people living with dementia and their families.