When my blood became ink, words began to flow.

When Juliet Robertson received an unexpected diagnosis of Acute Myeloid Leukaemia (AML) in 2020, her life altered irreparably. Poetry became an unexpected source of strength, offering an outlet for her to make sense of her illness.

Blood Lines is a poignant exploration of Juliet’s life with terminal cancer. Her resilience and positivity are evident throughout this heartwarming collection of poems and the accompanying narrative is a shining example of how to live with adversity. Juliet intertwines notes, poems and visuals beautifully to craft a deeply layered narrative.

The book boldly confronts taboo subjects, delving into the medical intricacies of illness and the concept of death with unflinching courage. Juliet’s flair for writing is well-known to readers of her bestselling works, Dirty Teaching and Messy Maths.

Bold, tender and unexpectedly humorous, this book will offer comfort and solace to anyone personally affected by cancer.

“Blood Lines is a handbook for living and dying well, delivered with grace, fortitude and humour”. Sue Burge, Writer and Mentor.

A moving and inspiring read for anyone that has been personally affected by cancer, including patients, their family and friends and oncology professionals as well as all poetry enthusiasts.

Juliet Robertson is a retired education consultant specialising in outdoor learning and play and the author of two popular books, Dirty Teaching and Messy Maths. In 2024 she was awarded an honorary Doctorate in Education from Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh in recognition of her pioneering work and significant contribution to education. 

Juliet received an unexpected blood cancer diagnosis at the end of 2020 which altered her life trajectory. She began writing poetry in 2021 as a way of making sense of her illness, treatment and prognosis. She discovered that sharing her poetry was a gateway to necessary, but not easy, conversations with family and friends.

Blood Lines takes readers on an intimate journey through the experience of a blood cancer diagnosis and the reality of life beyond the initial news—expressed in a way that few have articulated so powerfully. Juliet’s poetry captures the raw emotions, struggles and moments of humour that come with hospital stays, balancing the surreal world of treatment with life outside.

For those familiar with blood markers, neutrophils, PET scans and platelets, this collection will resonate deeply. Juliet has truly nailed it—her poems paint a vivid picture of both the absurd and profound aspects of living with AML. Her ability to distil complex emotions into words will have many readers nodding in recognition, thinking me too.

This is a heartwarming, honest and deeply moving account. I highly recommend it to anyone walking alongside a loved one with blood cancer.

Maria Taylor, Education Consultant, Outside the Box Learning, South Australia

I think Juliet’s book of poetry, musings, advice and intense thinking is inspirational to the right reader who wants a companion, comfort and also a dose of reality on the most difficult journey of all. Juliet is quite incredible.

The varied styles of the poetry give a personalised and informal feel and are such a wonderful way to give an authentic voice to the writing. It’s almost unbearably real. I get the impression that writing it has helped Juliet, and it may well help others too. The images are sharp, they fall across the reader’s mind in a multitude of emotions and seem exactly what they are: feelings expressed in a high-level, articulate way that follow no pattern but Juliet’s own. She writes as the day demands in her mind with charts, thought bubbles, data and a context for each poem. The section divisions really help the sense of a journey. It’s fast, it’s painful but it’s beautiful in places too.

Some people in their final days, or going through long treatment, will certainly benefit from reading something so honest but also very well written with hugely effective word use and image making.

Thanks for the privilege of reading this.

Bob Cox, author of the Opening Doors series

What an amazing, moving and uplifting read.

Juliet manages to capture the experience of living with cancer with creativity, candour, humour and tremendous soul. So much of her writing resonates with my own experience of living through those final months with someone you love dearly. Juliet captures the rollercoaster of emotions, and there will be much in these pages to comfort both the living and the dying. True to form, Juliet’s writing offers support and gentle guidance for those on their own journey and leaves the reader with a sense of hope even in the most adverse times. A beautiful book.

Ruth Swailes, curriculum consultant, improvement advisor and author of A Child Centred EYFS and The Oxford Internartional Eafly Years Curriculum

Juliet Robertson’s collection, Blood Lines, is a poetic exploration of her terminal cancer diagnosis. Throughout the collection, Robertson’s resilience and positivity shine through: ‘I’m a dancer with my cancer / fabulous partners in crime’, she states. At times she uses startlingly original visual representations to respond to the processes surrounding her diagnosis; at others Robertson uses unusual imagery to transform the slow steps of her journey: it is a bus ride, a space trip, a road journey, a seashore. Heartbreaking and heartwarming, Blood Lines is a handbook for living and dying well, delivered with grace, fortitude and humour.

Sue Burge, writer, mentor, editor, tutor

Blood Lines brings together the deeply personal and the broadly social. Each poem stands alone, and yet the collection is a whole narrative—it reaches far and wide in feeling and subject and in time and space. It is imbued with the natural world and with a passion for words and literature. In her writing, Juliet is the teacher we always wanted: fun, creative, honest, profound, challenging and full of original and independent thinking. In Blood Lines, there are many generous invitations—for example, to take ‘a pacifist approach / non-violent direct action’ or to ‘dance and play’ with feelings—lessons for everyone but, as the collection so powerfully reveals, particularly for those living and dying with cancer, and for those standing with them. At Flynne’s Barn we have felt this generosity and are immensely grateful to Juliet for the belief and support that she has shown us.

Robin Ewart-Biggs, co-founder of Flynne’s Barn, Cumbria