A MALVERN-based author battling Parkinson’s Disease has published a novel about the condition.

Richard Copestake, who has the disease, has written Big Shoes, which tells the story of Colin Sparrow, diagnosed in his early forties and living with increasingly debilitating symptoms for more than 15 years.

Mr Copestake was diagnosed with the disease while working at Christpher Whitehead Language College in Worcester, and the book paints a vivid picture of the difficulties of living with Parkinson’s.

One section of the book reads: “I stand at the back of the classroom and look at the blackboard. My attention is drawn to my handwriting.

"You know, I suppose Gareth has got a point. What’s happened to it lately? I can hardly read it myself.

“The words seem to get progressively smaller and sort of spidery towards the end of the line and each line arcs downwards.

"Really messy. I extend the fingers of my left hand, my writing hand, and wiggle them about. It’s then that I notice that my fingers seem locked.

“They don’t seem to be moving in a free-flowing motion, like they do on my right. It’s as if they’re moving through treacle.

"That’s funny, I’ve not noticed that before. I flex my fingers once more over and over, and this time notice a slight tremor.

"A moment of panic grips me that something’s amiss with my left hand and fingers...”

Publisher Will Daunt said: “The adversity that he had to overcome is one of the reasons why I wanted to publish Richard’s Big Shoes.

"Of course, a lot more than that is needed to guarantee a good read. My second reason for wanting to publish Big Shoes was because it is a work of spirit: humorous, warm and vivid in its portrayal of family, school and hospital life.”

Christopher Whitehead headteacher Neil Morris has also written a blog post on the book which can be found at https://neilmorriscwlc.wordpress.com/2021/02/01/big-shoes/

Big Shoes by Richard Copestake was published by Ormskirk Imprint and costs £11.