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Hi As some of you may know, I will shortly be starting on a three-year programme of work around disability and the lifecourse. Amongst other things, I am about to start work on an edited book (with an international publisher) looking at various aspects of disability and the lifecourse - theoretical, practical and personal. The collection of chapters will be inter-disciplinary, international and presented in a style which is accessible to a wide audience -short chapters, clear language and summary discussion points. The book will include chapters on both the construction and the lived experience of disability, with an emphasis on disabling barriers and enabling environments at various points of lifecourse transition. There will be a majority of disabled authors and a balance of men and women. Some writers will be prominent in the field and some will be new to published work. I am particularly keen to draw on writers from a number of countries and cultures, and this list seems like a good recruiting ground. I am also conscious that black writers and people with learning difficulties have been under-represented as published authors within disability studies. So, if you think you can write 4,000-5,000 words before December 1999 (on your own or with someone else) then I would like to hear from you. Suggested topics include... ...how easy is it to get born in the first place?, genetics/eugenics, early childhood issues, school, youth culture, 'training' for what?, what is an independent adulthood anyway?, becoming a parent, becoming older, are very old people with impairments disabled?, exposing euthanasia and killing, arguments about the 'value' or 'quality' of disabled lives, celebrations of disabled lives, personal life stories... At this stage, I would like expressions of interest for specific chapters. Please provide a provisional title, a brief outline of what might be included (not more than 150 words) and one question for prospective readers to think about. Please also include a brief note about yourself. I will then work with the publisher to determine the most suitable combination of chapters. Thanks. Best Wishes Mark Priestley Disability Research Unit University of Leeds LEEDS LS2 9JT UK Tel: +44 113 2334417/2334418 Fax: +44 113 2334415 E-mail: [log in to unmask] http://www.leeds.ac.uk/sociology/dru/dru.htm %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%