About The Story

The text of this book comes from the speech that Cathy Marshall wrote and Ian Marshall delivered at the Centre for Brain Research "More than Words" Gavel Club for People with Aphasia almost ten years ago in 2013. Ian is a founding member of the Gavel Club, joining when it began in 2012.

With only three days to go before the Gavel Club’s 2013 End of Year Celebration and Speech Contest, Cathy and Ian still hadn’t decided on an idea for Ian’s speech. That morning, Ian came downstairs and said, “Where’s my thing?”. Cathy said, “That’s it!”.  Ian’s go-to word 'thing' sparked the creation of his “It’s a Thing” speech, and now an illustrated book!

Cathy says, "We had so much fun writing the speech, with both of us cracking up laughing, and Ian jokingly saying, “By George! I’ve got it!” in a pronounced posh English accent. Ian was so excited and full of confidence when “It’s a Thing” won the speech contest."

Speech Language Therapist Celia Moore started the Centre for Brain Research "More than Words" Gavel Club for People with Aphasia in 2012, and has been leading the club ever since. She could tell immediately that Ian's speech would make a great story, and has been working towards turning it into a book ever since the competition in 2013.

"It's a Thing" truly captures the daily experience of living with aphasia and will spark the joy of recognition for those with aphasia themselves or with friends or relatives affected by aphasia. For those who aren't familiar with aphasia, "It's a Thing" will give you a real insight into what it's like to live with communication difficulties. 

 

Search “Ian Marshall It’s a Thing” on YouTube to see Ian at his public speaking best, and see what a Gavel Club can achieve for people with aphasia.