EVESHAM Festival of Words welcomes back a popular previous visitor next month with the the return of Rachel Kelly.

The former Times Journalist is now a mental health campaigner, public speaker and writer and will give a presentation How to Sing in the Rain – Building a Toolbox of wellbeing strategies in the time of Covid 19.

In her early 30s, Rachel was diagnosed with serious depression and subsequently suffered two major depressive episodes. These two episodes have become the defining events of her life.

Since then she has written about the condition and how she has recovered. She now speaks publicly about her experience of depression and recovery in an effort to reduce stigma and educate people about the reality of mental illness.

She is the author of four books including Black Rainbow: How Words Healed Me, and Walking on Sunshine: 52 Small Steps to Happiness.

In this Zoom event as part of the Evesham Festival of Words programme, Rachel explores the physical and psychological strategies which can help us cope with the challenges to our daily lives since the coronavirus pandemic.

Rachel recounts her own experience of depression, recovery and what she has learnt about thriving through challenging times. She encourages the audience to find the positives, however negative life may seem at times.

The event takes place on Wednesday, November 3, at 7.30pm and is a Zoom event.

Tickets are £4 per person and can be booked online via www.eveshamfestivalofwords.org/Programme, or from festival chair Sue Ablett (email: info@eveshamfestivalofwords.org or 0787 1285606).