A HITCHIN resident who turned to art two years ago after suffering with psychosis had his first booked published last week.

Hollis Dixon was first diagnosed with the mental health condition when he was 24 and following two further breakdowns, the 41-year-old tried his hand at art and poetry in 2009.

Two years on the Walsworth Road resident has seen Life hit the shelves, just four months after approaching a publisher.

“It’s about life experiences I’ve had throughout my life and something that people can relate to,” Hollis told The Comet.

“It’s also got a series of poems and affirmations which go along with the writing.

“I’d done a few poems and I was talking to someone at the Stevenage Wellbeing Centre and he just said to try and get it out there into the public. He suggested Chipmunkapublishing (which specialise in the subject of mental health) so I went to them and they took it up straight away. They must of thought something of me to take it up so quick.

“It’s just very exciting that it’s actually come out and that I’ve done something from start to finish. It’s really helped me get myself back on track and this was my way of getting through things at the time.”

The book, priced at �10, is available from all good retailers.