Writing from experience, curiosity and the Lake District
Ian P Loftus writes about grief, memory, philosophy and the questions that help us make sense of a complicated world.
About Ian
Born in Liverpool, Ian has spent his adult life in the English Lake District. The landscape of Cumbria, the people, the memories and the philosophical questions raised through a tragic loss, provides a constant source of inspiration for his academic and creative work.
Ian holds a PhD in Creative Writing and has studied the therapeutic value of creative and self-expressive writing, particularly in relation to grief. His work combines research with lived experience, always searching for language that is honest, useful and humane.
Grief became central to Ian’s writing after his eldest son, Dominic, was killed by a drunk driver at the age of twenty-two. His memoir Smiler tells the story of a grieving father navigating shock, anger, guilt, enduring love and the difficult task of rebuilding a meaningful life.
Discover SmilerMy philosophy on writing
Research the research
Don’t believe everything you read. Examine more than one side, recognise agendas and do the work required to reach an informed view of your own.
Write what you don’t know
Write about what makes you curious. The process of learning gives the work energy—and genuine curiosity has a way of reaching the reader.
Make them smile—or cry
Whatever the subject or style, writing should engage the reader emotionally. Honesty, humour and humanity are what make words stay with us.
Books, essays and continuing questions
Ian’s published work includes The Awesome Power of Questions, Remember with Love, Grief Tools and Smiler. His wider research explores grief, the rule of law, political philosophy and the ideas that shape public and private life.