John Walker-Smith is an Australian with dual British citizenship. He is a medical graduate of the University of Sydney and is now Emeritus Professor of Paediatric Gastroenterology University of London. He has lived in London since 1973.
His wife died from Alzheimer’s disease in 2019. He has two living children and eight grandchildren. His second daughter tragically died aged 29 years in 2004. This was followed by the death of his nephew aged 33 years. These events led him to write poetry for the first time.
He has an MA in Christianity and the Arts at King’s College London. He is a member of The King’s Chapel of the Savoy. He is Life President of the Crohn’s in Childhood Research Appeal and the Founder President of CAPGAN.
This selection of poems by a new author was triggered by the tragic death of his 28-year-old daughter. So the collection begins with loss and the aftermath of loss: the hope of the author that his daughter and he may be reunited in the life to come. This hope underlies many of the poems. This is cle...