Writing about Julian of Norwich helped me through cancer

It is 650 years since Revelations of Divine Love, the first book to be written in English by a woman, was published. As Claire Gilbert reflects on losing her mother as a child, battling cancer and living through the Covid-19 pandemic, she finds Julian’s writings are as relevant today as they were six centuries ago

I first read Revelations of Divine Love while studying for my theology degree. The 14th century mystic shone out as a bright, lively thinker among dry-as-dust theologians. Julian of Norwich didn’t try to organise God, but spoke simply and beautifully of what she had been shown, inviting her readers to open themselves to see also. I loved her instantly.

Years later, I wrote my doctoral thesis on Julian’s work in relation to the ecological crisis. And not long after that, in March 2019, I was diagnosed with myeloma, a cancer of the blood. Julian changed from being the subject of my academic study to being my spiritual guide through two and a half years of gruelling treatment.