SPACE TO REFLECT

When former Big Issue editor, Alicia English, lost her husband to Covid-19 earlier this year, she and her son discovered a novel way to process overwhelming, difficult feelings.

I Miss Daddy is free to children in under-resourced schools. To buy a copy of the book email [e-mail]

How did both you and your son come to write this book?

My husband, Noel, passed away in January due to Covid-19 related complications. In May, our son Matthew (7-years old) was drawing pictures of his dad and our family with his crayons. He said how much he missed his dad, and what a great dad he was. That conversation sparked the idea of a book. I was also searching for answers from God about a deeper meaning to my husband’s death. I found it difficult to accept. Seeing my kids grieve for their dad made me think of others who’ve lost a parent. I wondered whether they had someone to talk to like my children, and that inspired me to produce I, Miss Daddy.

Tell us more about Matthew and his relationship with his late father