Oxford poet Jane Thomas explores love, loss and Alzheimer’s in powerful debut collection

DATE

August 24, 2026

Oxford poet Jane Thomas explores Alzheimer’s, love and loss in her debut collection, Coracle, which will be published on World Alzheimer’s Day on 21 September 2026.


What happens when words begin to disappear? Poet and writer Jane Thomas explores the shifting landscape of Alzheimer’s in her debut, Coracle.

Following her father through Alzheimer’s, Jane creates a deeply personal yet wider-reaching collection about love, care and loss, while examining the often-overlooked politics of unpaid care.

The poems have appeared in publications including The Poetry Review, The Rialto and Stand, with the title poem nominated by the Poetry Society for the Forward Prize in 2024.

Jane was awarded a Developing Your Creative Practice grant by Arts Council England, while her work with unpaid female carers received a Literature Matters award from the Royal Society of Literature in 2025.

The collection has received warm praise, with Helen Mort describing it as “a collection we urgently need”, while Caroline Bird praises the way Jane’s poetic forms shift and dissolve to reflect the experience of Alzheimer’s.

Based in Oxford, Jane is also a writer, coach and facilitator of creative health groups, as well as a volunteer in social justice projects. She is a member of PEN and the Royal Society of Literature.

Coracle is published by Live Canon on Monday 21 September, priced £7.50.

For more information, visit janethomas.org.

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