“The three dads bear a heavy load, but they walk on for us all, finding light on the path after the darkest times.”- Dan Walker- Foreword in book.

Trigger Warning- This blog discusses suicide

This blog is a slightly different one because I am not doing a book review as such, it is an event summary of an author talk that I was proud to organise in York. The Three Dads Walking have become a nationally known group for their tireless work to raise awareness of suicide prevention, with the charity Papyrus (Prevention of suicide in young people who are 35 and under) after their daughters died by suicide. I have been fortunate to do charity work with Andy, who is my friend over a few years, and when the dad’s book came out last year, I wanted to give them the chance to share their message and help others find hope and “light” in York.

The book is an incredibly powerful real-life story of how three men’s lives connected after the most heart-breaking loss. The book follows the dads first national walk and charts each day over the walk. It is a moving and inspiring read of the people they met and were able to support with shared conversations. It is also heartwarming to read about the deep kindness people show and the best of humanity. I highly recommend reading it and it had a profound impact on me.

The York event was held on the 29^th April in York Minster. It was an evening of thoughtful and powerful discussion and questions. The audience really engaged with the dads and the book was a central part of the night. It was great to receive support from the York Literature Festival and Little Apple Bookshop. As a young writer this was an incredible event to be able to organise and work with so many people, who saw the power of a book and the written word. It is important to know that books carry an important message, and the Three Dads have created a vitally important book by sharing their experiences.

The book contains a list of support organisations and websites, as well as numbers. I have added the Papyrus and Three Dads website links below, so you can find out more. As a young person and young writer, I feel strongly about being able to use my voice and writing to raise awareness of such important life saving causes.

The Three Dads are carrying a “heavy load” but using their story to educate others how to reduce the number of people carrying an equally heavy load and saving lives. The book is a powerful testament and one of the books I highly encourage you to read if you have not done so already.

Papyrus UK Suicide Prevention | Prevention of Young Suicide

3 Dads Walking

Work Cited-

Walker, Dan. The Dads Walking. 1^st Edition. Little Brown. 2024.

Waterstones. “Waterstones”. Waterstones. Date accessed: 19^th May 2025. URL: waterstones.com/book/three-dads-walking/tim-owen/mike-palmer/9781472148445.