Christy Brown was severely disabled by cerebral palsy from birth and unable to use any part of his body apart from his left foot. Doctors said he was a mental defective and that he would never be able to lead any kind of normal life; Christy proved them wrong. This is the first authorised biography of Christy Brown, written with the help and support of his surviving family members and artists who knew him well. It tells the astonishing story of Christy s struggle with his disability and his art, beginning with his mother teaching him to read and write using chalk on the worn floor of their small family home, to the publication of his poetry, short stories and his memoir in 1954, and then his bestselling novel Down All the Days, described by the Irish Times as the most important novel since Ulysses . His story is an inspiration, proving that an individual with hope and determination may overcome great odds. Also covered is the production and success of the film My Left Foot, using interviews with artists who worked with Daniel Day-Lewis on set. Published to coincide with what would have been Christy s 75th birthday in 2007, and using his unpublished letters and poems, this boo

Author Biography

Georgina Hambleton lives in Dublin, where she studied English and Anglo-Irish literature and now teaches adult literacy.