A graphic with a dark navy background featuring large, bold pink text that reads "slow the fuck down" in lowercase letters. In the top right corner, smaller light blue text reads "A Disability and Chronic Illness Reading Collective." In the bottom right corner, there is a small image of the book cover for "Year of the Tiger: An Activist's Life" by Alice Wong, which is yellow with a red tiger illustration. Below the book is the "LONG COVID ADVOCACY" logo, consisting of a stylized blue and purple hand with a heart in the palm.

🐯Wise, wise words from Alice Wong.

We are loving Year of the Tiger in our #PedanticZebra book club. Whip-smart & full of cat-vibe boundary setting. 🐾

#booksky

A woman sits in a wheelchair, holding a yellow book titled "Year of the Tiger: An Activist's Life" by Alice Wong. She wears a blue sweater and red lipstick, looking directly at the camera. A large pink quotation mark is in the top left corner. Below the image, on a dark blue background, white text reads: "The many identities you hold and your lived experiences are not in conflict with each other; they make you sharp, whole, and extraordinary." This is followed by "- YEAR OF THE TIGER, ALICE WONG" in pink. The bottom left features the Long COVID Advocacy logo.

We are well into our read of 'Year of the Tiger' in memory of Alice Wong, for our disability & chronic illness reading collective, The #PedanticZebra Book Club.

This is a super quote about holding & unifying the many aspects of ourselves.

💙📚 To join us on Fable: tinyurl.com/3r2ctufh

Alice Wong, an East Asian woman with dark hair and a tracheal tube, sits in a power chair, wearing a blue sweater and red lipstick, holding her book "Year of the Tiger: An Activist's Life" against a dark background with a purple-to-blue circular gradient behind her head. Above her is the text, "For the disabled oracles out of time I join you in the choir of our wisdom."

🐯We are full of "big cat" energy in our reading of Year of the Tiger in memory of Alice Wong.

It's iconoclastic, fun and incisive as a laser beam.

🖇️👇to join us on Fable
tinyurl.com/3r2ctufh

#pedanticzebra #bookclub #booksky

The recordings are up for our interview, On ME Representation, with the brilliant @tinywriterlaura.bsky.social author of Awakened. #pedanticzebra
🖇️ 👇
🍿 Clip: They'd Steal Sleep to Make More Money

Portrait of author Laura Elliott with short reddish hair, next to the cover of her book, Awakened, which features a crow. Above the images is text discussing postviral patients.

💙📚 This evening on the #pedanticzebra book club we have an on fire quote from Awakened by @tinywriterlaura.bsky.social

📺Exciting news too we will be chatting to Laura on livestream in a few weeks!

Join our #bookclub on fable for friendship & chat 🖇️👇

We have just moved the #pedanticzebra Book Club: A Disability & Chronic Illness Reading Collective to Fable!

Let's keep Alice's activism vibrant through community, learning & discussion.

Dec - Jan: Year of the Tiger by Alice Wong

To join 👇
fable.sng.link/Ali7l/etuk?_...

Text in image: 'Pedantic Zebra Bookclub. I've always hated the name chronic fatigue syndrome for its total manipulation of perception. Myalgic encephalomyelitis described the intense pain of its sufferers, and recognised Ramsay's discovery of brain inflammation at the onset of illness in a number of his patients. These patients, like my mother, weren't simply fatigued; they were incapacitated by the most basic exertion. Laura Elliot, Awakened. #pedanticzebra LONG COVID ADVOCACY' Below the text is a stylized, dark image of a crow with bright blue eyes, partially obscured by the text. A large blue/purple circle is in the upper left corner. A logo of a purple hand is in the bottom right corner above the text "LONG COVID ADVOCACY".

🔥This is a killer quote by @tinywriterlaura.bsky.social in 'Awakened':

👉denoting when the CDC 'renamed' ME to CFS in 1988 after the outbreak in Lake Tahoe.

#pedanticzebra

Dark blue graphic with a quote in pale pink and cyan text that reads: “They called the illness postviral, which meant a number of different things depending on who you asked. For most people, it simply meant that you'd been sick with something and it was taking too long to get better. For others, it meant that you were crazy, or lazy, or perhaps neither of these things, but at any rate that you weren't really sick. Some doctors thought she'd get better. Some didn't. Some listened to her and ordered blood tests that never found anything. Some wouldn't even go that far.” — Laura Elliot, Awakened. Design elements include the header “Pedantic Zebra Bookclub,” a stylised blue-purple gradient circle, and a black crow illustration near the bottom. The Long Covid Advocacy logo appears in the lower right corner with the hashtag #pedanticzebra.

🐦‍⬛More fantastic M.E. representation in 'Awakened' by @tinywriterlaura.bsky.social our autumn 🍂 read for the #pedanticzebra book club

#booksky

: Quote from Laura Elliot's Awakened displayed on a dark background, reading: "...and cross the threshold into this room of the sick, which, like all rooms of the sick, exists outside of time." Below the text is a stylized image of a black bird (a raven or crow) with a ruined castle on its back. The top-right corner says "Pedantic Zebra Bookclub." The bottom-right has a logo for "Long Covid Advocacy."

💙📚 Our autumn read is 'Awakened' by @tinywriterlaura.bsky.social

Elliot shows her dedication to ME representation by including it on page 1 with this cracking quote.

One that many of us can relate too 🖤

#pedanticzebra #booksky

'Who Wants Normal? A Disabled Girls' Guide to Life' by Frances Ryan It is this communality of the book that elevates it, from practical tips to the message that one is not alone in the struggle.

💙📚 Catch up with the heart of our Summer read for the #pedanticzebra book club with our review.

It's a superb, astute & funny guide by @francesryan.bsky.social

We thoroughly recommend this one!

🎧 Audio on Substack

#disability #chronicillness #booksky

A book cover with a striking, stylized illustration of a raven in the center. The raven is depicted in a textured, almost sketchy style with shades of black and gray. Its right eye is a glowing, vibrant blue. On its back, a detailed, architectural illustration of the Tower of London is emerging from a cluster of dark, pine-like trees, as if the castle is growing out of the raven itself. The title AWAKENED is written in large, bold blue letters below the raven. The author's name, LAURA ELLIOTT, is in a smaller, darker font at the very bottom. A few loose, black feathers are scattered around the raven's head and body.

Hello everyone 👋
Just a note to say we are back after our Summer Break!

And a reminder that this autumn's #pedanticzebra read is @tinywriterlaura.bsky.social 'Awakened' - dystopian horror with an ME plot line! 💙📚

We're so excited for this one!

so thrilled that Awakened is the #pedanticzebra book club pick for autumn! details on how to get involved in the thread here 🙏🥰

Book cover of Awakened by Laura Elliott, featuring a dark, textured illustration of a raven with the Tower of London embedded in its body. Surrounding the cover are keywords in light blue text with arrows pointing inward: “Apocalypse,” “Medical Disability,” “Sleeplessness,” “Obsession,” “ME Representation,” “Musings,” and “Medical Scandal.” The bottom right corner displays the Long Covid Advocacy logo in purple and blue.

It's here - our autumn #pedanticzebra bookclub reveal! 💙📚

🖤 We're going full goth girl autumn with 'Awakened' by @tinywriterlaura.bsky.social

With these themes how could we not!

More details on how to take part below 👇

#booksky

Alt text: A graphic promoting the Pedantic Zebra Bookclub by Long Covid Advocacy, featuring a quote from Dr. Frances Ryan. The background is dark blue with a blue-purple gradient circle in the top left. The quote reads: "While disabled women can suffer particular strains on our mental health, it's often harder for us to access professional help. NHS mental health waiting times mean many patients are forced to wait months or years for an appointment or to pay to go private, meaning disabled people – who are more likely to be on a low income than other groups – can find ourselves priced out of support." Beneath the quote, “Dr. Frances Ryan” is written in bright cyan. At the bottom left is a circular photo of Dr. Frances Ryan, a white woman with long blonde hair sitting in a wheelchair. To the right of the photo is the cover of her book, Who Wants Normal? The Disabled Girl’s Guide to Life. The Long Covid Advocacy logo—a stylized hand in blue and purple gradient

💯 Truth from @francesryan.bsky.social

Discussing the difficulties of accessing safe & appropriate mental health care for people with disabilities. Something close to our heart & care that needs to change urgently 💙📚

#healthequity #pedanticzebra

Alt text: Instagram graphic with a dark navy background promoting a giveaway by the Pedantic Zebra Bookclub. At the top, it says “Pedantic Zebra Bookclub” with a stylized book icon. Bold turquoise text in the center reads “Giveaway!” Below is the cover of the book Unheard: The Medical Practice of Silencing by Dr. Rageshvi Dhairyawan, which resembles a crumpled NHS prescription form. Endorsements from Dr. Rachel Clarke and Sarah Perry are visible. At the bottom, it says “…signed copy!” in turquoise. In the corner are the hashtags #pedanticzebra and the Long COVID Advocacy logo.

🎉 GIVEAWAY 🎉

We’ve got a signed copy of Unheard: The Medical Practice of Silencing by @drrageshri.bsky.social

🌟A vital read on medical gaslighting + power.

To enter:
✅ Follow us
💬 Comment to let us know you've entered
🔁 Share for a bonus entry

Ends 28 July | UK only

💙📚 #booksky #pedanticzebra

A black and white image features Dr. Francis Ryan, a journalist, seated and looking forward with a somber expression. She has long, light-colored hair and is wearing a dark, off-the-shoulder top. Below her image, a quote is displayed in white text against a dark purple background: "When we are healthy, we tend to believe doctors fix you... Within a few months of getting sick, I knew this was a lie. It wasn't simply that medics didn't know how to treat me, it was how they treated me." In the bottom left corner, there's a logo for "LONG COVID ADVOCACY" with a hand icon. In the bottom right corner, it says "- DR FRANCIS RYAN, JOURNALIST". Two large, pink quotation marks are in the top left corner of the image.

📚💙 This quote will resonate & reach out to so many women with chronic illness. We know the system is broken but it impacts our lives in profound & traumatic ways.

It's from the Healthcare chpt in 'Who Wants Normal?' by @francesryan.bsky.social

Powerful & validating.

#pedanticzebra

A dark blue graphic with a light blue and purple gradient circle in the top left corner. At the top of the graphic, "Pedantic Zebra" is written in white with a zebra icon, and "Bookclub" is written in white next to a book icon. The main text on the graphic is in white and reads: "A 2019 study into the impact of disability on body image found that those who had a disability that was not observable by others - for example, a mental health condition - actually felt more negative about themselves and their body than those who had a disability that was easily observable by others." Below this, "Dr. Frances Ryan" is written in a bright blue. At the bottom left of the graphic, there is a circular headshot of a woman with long, light brown hair looking directly at the viewer. She is wearing a dark top. To the right of the headshot is a book cover titled "Who Wants NORMAL?" in large red and orange letters, with "The Disabled Girls' Guide to Life" and "FRANCES RYAN"

💙📚 This week the #pedanticzebra book club chapter looks at BODY IMAGE

@francesryan.bsky.social makes this poignant point about self-esteem for those with 'invisible' disabilities

👉Something important for those with #longcovid & #pwME

(+ full of ME represention ✊💙)

Alt text: Graphic with a quote from Dr. Frances Ryan on a dark blue background, created by Pedantic Zebra Bookclub and Long Covid Advocacy. The quote reads: “In 2024, the UK government launched a campaign to urge parents to send their children to school despite having cold symptoms or stomach aches, with some parents of children who have long-term health conditions even being prosecuted for truancy.” Dr. Frances Ryan’s name appears in bold turquoise text. Below the quote is a circular photo of Dr. Ryan, a white woman with long blonde hair, wearing a black top. Next to the photo is the cover of her book Who Wants Normal? The Disabled Girls’ Guide to Life, featuring red and yellow text on an orange background. Logos for Pedantic Zebra, Bookclub, and Long Covid Advocacy are in the corners.

💙📚 Friday night = #pedanticzebra book club with @francesryan.bsky.social

👩‍🦼Chapter 2 is powerful, examining the impact of the lack of accommodations & policy on students

Frances shows how convalescence is taboo

Something magnified during the pandemic & how so many got #LongCovid

#booksky

The image displays an open book titled "WHO WANTS NORMAL?". A finger points to the bottom of the page. The text describes a severe illness experienced in late 2017, focusing on the debilitating effects of fatigue. A highlighted section emphasizes the nature of this fatigue: "Fatigue is hard to comprehend until you have it. I learned abruptly that it was not being tired from a big night out or burnout after a stressful spell at work. It was all-consuming, as if my body were wearing a weighted blanket that I couldn't shake off." The passage continues to detail extreme physical weakness and difficulty with basic tasks. Handwritten notes in the margin validate this experience, mentioning "chronic fatigue" and "my experience too." The page number is "xiv".

💙📚 'Who Wants Normal? by @francesryan.bsky.social starts poignantly with a description of a mundane event that was extraordinary:
"I went to the pub & I caught the flu."

A moment familiar to many of us with #ME & #LongCovid, as we fell into the void.

#annotations #pedanticzebra #booksky

02. On Medical Silencing with Dr Rageshri Dhairyawan & the Pedantic Zebra Book Club Welcome to the Pedantic Zebra Book club pod! This pod is an interview with Dr Rageshri Dhairyawan, an author, researcher and NHS Consultant in Sexual Health ...

🔴 Recording is out!

02. On Medical Silencing with @drrageshri.bsky.social

It's a super chat covering:
👉 Disease prestige
👉 Medical uncertainty
👉 AI & more

💙📚 #medsky #pedanticzebra #booksky
www.youtube.com/live/gDOkyEQ...

Unheard by Dr Rageshri Dhairyawan: A Book That Should Be Required Reading in Medicine Reflections from the Pedantic Zebra Book Club

💙📚 New article: 'Unheard by Dr Rageshri Dhairyawan - A Book That Should be Required Reading in Medicine' is out now.

📺Join us for the #pedanticzebra livestream discussion with @drrageshri.bsky.social Thursday 5th June, 7pm on our Facebook & YouTube!

#medsky
open.substack.com/pub/longcovi...

A promotional graphic for the Pedantic Zebra Bookclub, featuring instructions on revisiting past reads. It includes hashtags, links to a podcast, book reviews, and encourages a relaxed reading pace without expiration dates.

There are ways to revist the #pedanticzebra in your own time too!

🎧 All recordings of interviews are on our YouTube & pod (you can catch up with @jonathanstea.bsky.social here!):
tinyurl.com/mvbduyum

A promotional graphic for the "Pedantic Zebra Bookclub" featuring the book "Who Wants Normal? The Disabled Girls’ Guide to Life" by Frances Ryan. The background is dark blue with bright blue and purple gradient accents. Large turquoise text reads "Who Wants Normal? The Disabled Girls’ Guide to Life." The author's name, Frances Ryan, is in smaller turquoise text. A photo of Frances Ryan, a white woman with long blonde hair, is shown in a circular frame in the bottom left. The book cover is displayed on the right, with red, orange, and yellow colors and the title prominently visible. Logos for "Pedantic Zebra," "Bookclub," and "Long Covid Advocacy" appear, along with the hashtag #pedanticzebra.

💙📚 June is here, which means our Summer read is go!

We are reading 'Who Wants Normal? The Disabled Girls' Guide to Life' by @francesryan.bsky.social

🦓 More details on how to take part 👇

#pedanticzebra #booksky #amreading

Alt text: Dark purple promotional graphic for a podcast titled "Pedantic Zebra Pod." The episode is labeled "02. On Medical Silencing" and features Dr. Rageshri Dhairyawan, author of Unheard. Text invites viewers to "delve into this fascinating topic." The episode airs live on Thursday, June 5th at 7 PM GMT. A circular photo of Dr. Dhairyawan appears at the bottom left. She has short dark hair, bold lipstick, and gold earrings, and is smiling slightly. The event is hosted by Long Covid Advocacy, whose logo—a stylized purple and blue gradient hand—is shown beside the text. Social media icons for Instagram, Facebook, and a play button appear at the bottom.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
It's 5 stars from us for 'Unheard: The Medical Practice of Silencing' by @drrageshri.bsky.social

🎧 We are excited to be live streaming on our Facebook & YouTube this Thurs June 5th, 7pm GMT

If you have a question you'd like answered pop us a comment or DM 👩‍💻

💙📚 #pedanticzebra

Alt text: Graphic for Pedantic Zebra Bookclub's summer pick. The background is deep navy with turquoise and purple text. Main title reads: “Who Wants Normal? The Disabled Girl’s Guide to Life by Frances Ryan.” Top corners feature the Pedantic Zebra logo and “Bookclub” text. Bottom right has the Long Covid Advocacy logo and hashtag #pedanticzebra. Bottom left is a photo of Frances Ryan — a white woman with long blonde hair, seated, wearing black, looking directly at the camera.

💙📚Our #PedanticZebra summer quarter book reveal is...

'Who Wants Normal?' by Dr Frances Ryan

🔥A blazing, honest look at what it really means to live as a disabled woman today

☕We start on June 1st!

Join us on Goodreads:
tinyurl.com/mr3h3p8u

#bookclub #booksky

Alt text: Quote graphic from Pedantic Zebra Bookclub and Long Covid Advocacy. The quote reads: "In essence women have been systemically under-researched, doubted, under-investigated and under-treated. Their ability as knowledge-producers has been discredited. The androcentric, racist and ableist roots of Western medicine have silenced the voices of women, particularly the most marginalised, and led to a lack of knowledge about their own bodies." — Dr. Rageshri Dhaiyawan The graphic features a small image of the book Unheard: The Medical Practice of Silencing and the logos of Pedantic Zebra and Long Covid Advocacy. The background is dark blue with gradient design elements.

Dr Rageshri Dhairyawan talks brilliantly about how women have been silenced in healthcare in 'Unheard' 📚💙

This is often due to the marginalisation of women in science & therefore research

But also how women have advocated & fought back to be heard 🩷

#pedanticzebra #bookclub

The Pedantic Zebra Book Club Hi and welcome to The Pedantic Zebra. The quarterly book club (audio or text) where we learn alongside each other about illness, disability, systemic inj...

🦓📚Gentle reminder that we are still diving deep into ‘Unheard: The medical practice of silencing' by Dr Rageshri Dhairyawan in our #pedanticzebra book club

Hint: It's brilliant!

If you'd like to join us we're here 👇

tinyurl.com/mr3h3p8u

Alt text: A promotional graphic for the Pedantic Zebra Bookclub featuring Dr. Rageshri Dhairyawan and her book Unheard: The Medical Practice of Silencing. The main text presents a riddle: “A father and his son are in a car accident. The father dies. The son is rushed to the emergency department. The attending surgeon looks at the boy and says, ‘I can’t operate on this boy. He’s my son!’ How can this be?” The implication is to challenge gender assumptions, as the surgeon is the boy's mother. The graphic includes a professional photo of Dr. Dhairyawan, a South Asian woman with short dark hair, hoop earrings, and bright lipstick. The book cover of Unheard is also shown. Logos for Pedantic Zebra, Bookclub, and Long Covid Advocacy appear on the image.

🃏Can you solve this riddle? Then you'd do better than 82% of Americans!

This highlights what Puwar calls 'the somatic norm'

What image do you see when you think 'Doctor' or 'Scientist'? 🧪

#pedanticzebra #booksky
@drrageshri.bsky.social

Pedantic Zebra Pod Podcast · Long Covid Advocacy · Welcome to the Pedantic Zebra Podcast. A quarterly, intersectional book club pod, exploring chronic illness, disability, medical history and crip culture. Hosted by L...

📚 Meet the #pedanticzebra book club

Quarterly reads exploring disability + chronic illness
🎧 Podcast: tinyurl.com/mvbduyum
📘 Goodreads: tinyurl.com/mr3h3p8u
🦓 Join us Friday nights for excerpts + to listen along 13/18

Alt text: A graphic promoting a book club event by "Pedantic Zebra" and "Long Covid Advocacy." The image features a quote attributed to Dr. Rageshri Dhaiyawan, referencing psychologist Carl R. Rogers: “Psychologist Carl R Rogers wrote in 1952 that 'Listening with understanding means taking a very real risk... you run the risk of being changed yourself'.” Below the quote is a headshot of Dr. Rageshri Dhaiyawan, a woman with short dark hair, wearing hoop earrings and bright lipstick. To the right is the cover of her book titled "Unheard: The Medical Practice of Silencing." The background is dark blue with gradient circular accents and logos for the book club and Long Covid Advocacy.

🍹TGIF!
Our quote from #pedanticzebra book club hints at one real reason why genuine listening is so difficult.

@drrageshri.bsky.social
#booksky #bookworm 💙📚