Many Richmondites know Alan Hill as the inclusion coordinator from Richmond Multicultural Community Services, who also happens to have a strong British accent.
However, few of them might know that Hill, who was born in the UK and immigrated to Canada in 2005 after meeting his wife while working in Botswana, is also a poet.
Indeed, Hill – a former City of New Westminster Poet Laureate - recently launched a new book, titled In the Blood: Poems.
The book reveals how his brother’s battle with mental illness and how Hill’s own mental struggles became inextricably intertwined.
Hill told the Richmond News that this book, featuring all of his poetry over the past 15 years, helps him find a way to release his feelings and heal.
“The work is all connected together to tell a story. I hope this book can inspire more people to talk about mental health and understand the definition of mental awareness,” said Hill.
Hill added that he wishes more people could fall in love with poems since writing is the best way to unleash emotion, adding that his full-time work as a community engagement coordinator in Richmond kept his inspiration flowing throughout the years.
For more information, visit https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/in-the-blood/9781773860787-item.html.
