Stuart is Guest Speaker at Living and Learning with M.E. event, EDINBURGH, Wed 23rd March

Stuart will share his experience of living with the disabling neurological condition myalgic encephalomyelitis (M.E.) at an intimate event in Edinburgh tonight, Wednesday 23 March.He will be guest speaker at the Living and Learning with M.E. event at the Scottish Storytelling Centre, hosted by UK charity Action for M.E.Sonya Chowdhury, Chief Executive, Action for M.E., says, “Most people know at least one person affected by M.E. but there is still widespread misunderstanding about the condition and its impact. In the absence of specialist support, people with M.E. and those who care for them become their own experts. Our Living and Learning with M.E. project taps into this collective wisdom and experience.”Tonight’s event will see the launch of a new person-centred guide to living with M.E., produced by Action for M.E. in collaboration with people in Scotland affected by the condition, some of whom will join Stuart on stage to share their stories.Stuart says, “I used to keep my M.E. a secret, I hated talking about it. But I am pleased to stand beside others affected and bring it out into the open, to take away that stigma. These days my symptoms are more manageable, but it wasn’t always like this.”Stuart became severely ill with M.E. when he was 19, and was incapacitated for seven years, including two spent bedbound. Looking back at that time in his track Nobody’s Empire, on last year’s album Girls in Peacetime Want to Dance, he calls it a “vision of Hell.”Along with other people affected by M.E. and healthcare professionals who specialise in M.E., Stuart will take part in a Q&A discussion chaired by Blythe Robertson from the Scottish Government's Health and Social Care Quality Unit, followed by a drinks reception where copies of the new guide to living with M.E. will be available.Living and Learning with M.E. takes place 7pm to 9pm at the Netherbow Theatre, Scottish Storytelling Centre, 43-45 High Street, Edinburgh. It’s free to attend and all are welcome.