Award-winning Australian writer and journalist Sonya Voumard shares her deeply personal and candid account of living with Dystonia in her latest nonfiction work Tremor, A Movement Disorder in a Disordered World. A sensitive yet unflinchingly honest narrative, the book sheds light on Voumard’s decades-long journey navigating the world with her multi-focal condition worsening and undiagnosed. From her early teenage years, she experienced an unexplained hand tremor, which escalated with age and was later compounded by neck spasms and mental health challenges, including anxiety. As a high-profile political correspondent in Canberra (and other cities), she faced the pressures of an intense career while managing (and often covering up) her mysterious and troubling symptoms. For years, medical practitioners treated each ailment in isolation, until neurologist Dr Stephen Tisch in 2019 finally pieced them together as Dystonia. In 2020 Voumard underwent Magnetic Resonance-guided Focused Ultrasound Surgery (MRgFUS), an incisionless brain procedure to help correct one aspect of the condition, the tremor in her right hand. Tremor, which recently won the 2024 Finlay Lloyd Nonfiction Award, will be of interest to all who have experience of Dystonia, either directly or indirectly.
Sonya’s other books are:
Skin in the Game: The pleasure and pain of telling true stories (Transit Lounge, 2018). This can be ordered here.
The Media and the Massacre: Port Arthur 1996-2016 (Transit Lounge, 2016). This can be ordered here.
Political Animals (Ginninderra Press, 2008). This can be ordered here.
Diagnosis Dystonia: Navigating the Journey was written by author, life coach and public speaker Tom Seaman. The book details his dystonia diagnosis and journey, offering coping skills, healthy living strategies and treatment options. It may be purchased directly from Tom’s website Tom Seaman Coaching (check shipping costs from USA) or through Amazon Australia, Booktopia, Book Depository and Dymocks. Please check availability and shipping costs before ordering. (Image used with permission of Tom Seaman).
Beyond Pain and Suffering: Adapting to Adversity and Life Challenges was also written by Tom Seaman. It provides practical concepts and strategies for how to cope and manage with pain and suffering. It may be purchased directly from Tom’s website Tom Seaman Coaching (check shipping costs from USA) or through Amazon Australia, Booktopia, Book Depository and Dymocks. Please check availability and shipping costs before ordering. (Image used with permission of Tom Seaman).
If you would like a copy of Jean-Pierre Bleton’s physiotherapy handbook please contact us with your request and provide your postal address. There is no cost for the book but there is a postage and handling fee of $10.50. This can be paid into our bank account: Account Name: Dystonia Network of Australia Inc. BSB: 633 000 Account No: 163 138 233. DNA thanks Merz Pharmaceuticals and Debbie Marques for providing these books.
Short film about Dystonia
Corgipaw Films has produced a short film ‘Dystonia‘ based on the real life experience of a person with dystonia. It can be watched on the Corgipaw Films website. The film is inspired by the experience of musician Margot Dean who has recently had a bassoon music piece published. See here to listen and to read Margot’s bio.
Please note that DNA is not endorsing these books and film but providing information about them as they may be a potential resource for people with dystonia.
Page updated 12 November 2024
