This issue consists mainly of material offered at our public event in June 2017 – Asylum: Action to Reaction. We include most of the main presentations, some of the workshops, and some reactions as well – both positive and more critical. We take criticism very seriously. Within the bounds of civility, Asylum is a completely open forum for debate. Read more
We hope you will find every bit of this edition interesting, but perhaps we should begin with some comments on the lead article. This concerns the remarkable artist, Bryan Charnley. Bryan suffered with mental health problems for many years, was diagnosed and treated for schizophrenia, decided to stop taking his meds, and finally took his own life. Read more
For the last two editions of the magazine we mainly focussed on the development of Mad Studies, and several contributors now respond to that theme. We do hope to continue these discussions, but this time there is no distinct thread to the contents. This is because we also want to ensure that we cover a range of topics relevant to our diverse readership, especially our loyal supporters from the user/survivor movement. Read more
It must be a sign of the times. Mad Studies comes of rage? This would have been music to the ears of Robert Dellar (1964–2016), friend and long-time supporter of Asylum magazine. Robert was a gentle, but provocative, advocate for Mad people, culture and politics. As we’re getting excited about Mad Studies, let’s not forget it couldn’t have happened without people like him. Read more
This issue and the next (March 2017) are mainly given over to highlighting new and original work around the theme of Mad Studies. We wanted to share our collective enthusiasm about this new project with Asylum readers. Mad Studies can be seen as both a continuation and a new phase of radical scholarship and activism in mental health. Read more
There have been a fair number of themed editions of the magazine during the last couple of years. This time, ranging from the polemic to the poetic, the serious to the more humorous, the contents reflect a disparate variety of concerns to some of our readers, and these items have been waiting to see the light of day. Read more
