On 29 January 2008 Philip Gould was told he had cancer. He was stoical & set about his treatment determined to fight his illness. In the face of difficult decisions he sought always to understand the disease & the various medical options open to him supported by his wife Gail & their two daughters Georgia & Grace. In 2010 after two hard years of chemotherapy & surgery the tests came up clear
- Philip appeared to have won the battle. But his work as a key strategist for the Labour party took its toll & feeling ill six months later he insisted on one extra precautionary test which told him that the cancer had returned. Thus began Philips long painful but ultimately optimistic journey towards death during which time he began to appreciate & make sense of his life his work & his relationships in a way he had never thought possible. He realized something that he had never heard articulated before: death need not be only negative or painful it can be life-affirming & revelatory. Written during the last few months of his life When I Die describes the journey Philip took with his illness leaving to us what he called his lessons from the death zone. This courageous profoundly moving & inspiring work is as valuable a legacy to the world as anyone could wish to bestow
- hugely uplifting beautifully written with extraordinary insight.