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Gila Pfeffer is an award winning author, breast cancer prevention advocate and mum of
four. Her recent book, Nearly Departed: Adventures in Loss, Cancer, and Other
Inconveniences, was the 2024 winner of the Gilda Women's Book award and had me
laughing hysterically and sobbing in equal measure. She describes it as "about losing
both my parents to cancer, trying not to get cancer myself, then getting it anyway".
We answer questions like: why would you choose humour as a vessel for discussing
breast cancer and loss? How do you navigate the publishing world as Jew in the current
climate? What do you say at a shivah? And, why are there so many photos online of you
holding up two large, round objects?
To find out more about breast cancer awareness, take a look at the resources below:
Cancer Research UK: cancerresearchuk.org
The Breast Cancer Research Foundation: bcrf.org
Jnetics - Improving the prevention and diagnosis of Jewish genetic disorders: jnetics.org
Sharsheret - the Jewish breast and ovarian cancer community: sharsheret.org
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